This week, Manchester City defender Kyle Walker was thrown off by a reporter who kept trying to talk to him about Bernard Mendy.
Press conferences tend to be pretty routine in football, but it was anything but ordinary in this instance. Manchester City prepare to face Club Brugge in the Champions League tonight. As part of that process, the club nominated right-back Walker to speak with the media.
During one of the questions from those in attendance, a reporter asked Kyle Walker about competing for a place in the starting XI with “Bernard Mendy”. After this, a back and forth between a confused Walker, the City press officer and the reporter followed.
Kyle Walker left utterly bemused as this reporter continues to refer to Man City right back Bernard Mendy ?? pic.twitter.com/nGL6teQeGC
— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) November 2, 2021
The Mendy issue
City have got a player named Mendy on their books. That player is left-back Benjamin Mendy, who currently faces rape charges, with a court date set for January 2022. Clearly, given the severe nature of the accusations, it’s understandable that Walker would feel uncomfortable at the mention of the name.
Mendy, 27, was remanded in custody back on August 26. He had his application for bail refused.
Who is Bernard Mendy?
Bernard Mendy is a 40-year-old former right-back who most notably played for Paris Saint-Germain. He also had stints at Hull City and a string of other clubs before retiring in 2016. Jim Conlan, the reporter at fault, released a statement explaining what happened.
“I have spoken to Pep and numerous Manchester City players on a regular basis without any incident in the past,” Conlon wrote. “On any given day, there can be so many soccer stories that some may slip your notice. Yes, I got a tongue twist regarding a 1st name which was unfortunate.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVOKyfdMUzG/Of course, the focus for Walker and the rest of his Manchester City teammates is now on beating Club Brugge. If they succeed, it would be another step towards the Champions League knockout stage.
Featured image credit: Getty