Sadio Mane has been suspended and fined after punching fellow Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane in the face, according to the club
Mane’s time at Bayern Munich has been eventful, to say the least, with reports of a spat with then-manager Julian Nagelsmann in recent months.
His struggles on the field, where he has now gone 12 games without a goal, have been matched off the field, with an incident in the dressing room following Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to Manchester City.
According to Sky Germany, Mane punched Sane in the face after an argument in the final stages of the game at the Etihad.
Sane suffered a bloodied lip as a result of the contact, and the pair were “separated” by the rest of the squad, who were “visibly shocked” by the Senegalese’s actions.
Both players apologized to their teammates ahead of training on Thursday, while Mane awaited the club’s punishment.
Despite reports that he could have his contract terminated less than a year after joining from Liverpool, the 31-year-old has been suspended.
Bayern Munich confirmed on Thursday afternoon that Mane would “not be included” in their match against Hoffenheim on Saturday and would be fined.
The situation comes at a difficult time for Mane, who arrived as a high-profile signing but has struggled to establish himself as a key player.
In recent weeks, he has not been a first-choice starter, including the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Manchester City, where he came off the bench for the final 21 minutes.
According to Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg, Mane will leave Munich after the summer because “many players are critical” of his behavior.
It is disappointing given the success he had at Liverpool, where he scored 120 goals and had 38 assists in 269 games over a six-year span, winning every trophy imaginable.
Bayern currently leads the Bundesliga, but they are only two points ahead of Dortmund, and there are still dangers from outsiders like Union Berlin, RB Leipzig, and SC Freiburg.
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