Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has been found not guilty of one count of rape on the direction of the judge presiding at the Chester Crown Court.
Mendy's co-accused Louis Saha Matturie, was also given the all clear of two counts of rape. The pair had been accused of the rape of a 19-year-old at the French footballer's house on July 24 last year. The Judge ordered the jury to give the verdict on Tuesday after the prosecution provided no further evidence against the defendants.
He also warned the journalists not to speculate why the prosecution has decided to not pursue guilty verdicts all of a sudden and to continue to 'faithfully' try the defendants on the multiple charges they still face.
The prosecutors have alleged that Mendy was a 'predator' who 'turned the pursuit of women for sex into a game' and that his friend Matturie had the job of finding young women for sex.
The French World Cup winner still faces seven counts of rape, one count of attempted to rape and one count of sexual assault against six young women.