Bayern Munich have dropped and fined Sadio Mane for allegedly hitting teammate Leroy Sane following Tuesday night’s 3-0 loss to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium
Sadio Mane has had a difficult week.
Bayern Munich were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night, a game overshadowed by an incident involving Mane and teammate Leroy Sane.
After a breakdown in communication, the two superstars were seen arguing on the Etihad pitch late in the game. The squabble didn’t end there, with Mane allegedly hitting Sane in the dressing room after the game. Bayern has responded to Mane’s “misconduct” by benching him for their next game.
The incident on Tuesday night isn’t good for Mane, but he’s known as one of football’s nice guys. Mohamed Salah, a Liverpool legend who knows what it’s like to argue with the Ballon d’Or runner-up on the field, will attest to this.
Salah was quick to wish Mane luck after he left Liverpool for Bayern last summer. On Instagram, he wrote: “It’s been a wild ride! Thank you for all of the good times, and best wishes on your new adventure! You will be missed by everyone.”
Mane responded: “Continue doing what you’re doing. You are the best, brother.”
The fact that Salah holds Mane in such high regard says a lot. In August 2019, the two collided during a Premier League match at Burnley.
Salah enraged Mane after failing to set him up for an easy goal. Salah, on the other hand, took aim and failed to score. In the Liverpool dugout at Turf Moor, Mane reacted angrily and vented his frustration to captain Jordan Henderson and manager Jurgen Klopp.
However, the incident was quickly forgotten as Mane and Salah worked together to deliver Liverpool their first Premier League title. In his column for The Telegraph, Reds legend Jamie Carragher sympathized with the pair for rowing, stating that issues can “fester” and worsen over time if not addressed.
Although Mane was wrong to allegedly hit Sane and has been punished by missing Saturday’s game against Hoffenheim, such incidents are not uncommon in elite locker rooms.
“We’ve had our disagreements,” Mane admitted to France Football after the argument with Salah at Turf Moor. “But it’s still a pleasure to play alongside him because I have the impression we speak the same language when it comes to football.”
It’s also worth noting that Mane was grieving the death of a close family member when he attacked Sane, as The Mirror exclusively revealed. What happened between the two Bayern players was wrong, but Mane should not be blamed.
Although Mane was wrong to allegedly hit Sane and has been punished by missing Saturday’s game against Hoffenheim, such incidents are not uncommon in elite locker rooms.
“We’ve had our disagreements,” Mane admitted to France Football after the argument with Salah at Turf Moor. “But it’s still a pleasure to play alongside him because I have the impression we speak the same language when it comes to football.”
It’s also worth noting that Mane was grieving the death of a close family member when he attacked Sane, as The Mirror exclusively revealed. What happened between the two Bayern players was wrong, but Mane should not be blamed.
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