PEP Guardiola told Benjamin Mendy’s alleged rape trial the footballer is a “good boy” but admitted he “can’t control” him off the pitch.
The Man City boss also told jurors he was “not happy” about Mendy’s lockdown-busting parties at his Cheshire mansion.
The footballer, 28, has been accused of being a “predator” who “turned the pursuit of women for sex into a game”.
Mendy allegedly raped and sexually assaulted six young women in total at his isolated home.
Pep told Chester Crown Court the left-back was a “really good boy” as he gave evidence via video-link today.
He said: “It’s difficult to find a person in the locker room who speaks badly about Mendy.”
The manager, who was asked to slow down his evidence for those taking notes, was asked by Eleanor Laws KC if Mendy “enjoyed his life”.
Pep replied: “I control my players when we are together in training sessions. In their private life, I don’t know what they do.
“I don’t follow the players on social media so I don’t know what they are doing outside my control in training sessions and in games.”
He continued: “I’m not his father.”
Describing the player’s ability, Pep said Mendy “quickly adapted to the team” and was “so generous”.
He told jurors the defender liked “making rumours and having fun and making the people have fun”.
Pep was asked by Ms Laws why he came to give evidence knowing Mendy had been accused of “serious sexual offences”.
He said: “He asked me, Mendy, to come here today with all of you, your honour and that’s why I’m here.”
Mendy is accused of seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six young women.
The star allegedly locked women in “panic rooms” at his mansion in Cheshire while hosting parties.
Some of his alleged victims claim their phones were taken away from them on arrival, which the prosecution say left them unable to call for help.
He previously told the court it was “honestly, so easy” for him to meet up with women and have sex “because of the status”.
The French international said the attention became “10 times more” when he began playing for Man City and admitted he is “no Brad Pitt.
He also told jurors he would often sleep with different women on the same night, admitting: “For me it was normal, I realised just now it sounds bad.”
Mendy is on trial with co-defendant Matturie, 41, who was an alleged “fixer” in charge of finding women for sex.
He denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to seven young women.
Both men say if any sex did take place with women or girls it was consensual.
