Sadio Mane ‘punching’ Leroy Sane may result in far greater consequences as Bayern Munich are ‘considering’ selling him following the bust-up. Sadio Mane allegedly assaulted teammate Leroy Sane physically, following the Bavarians’ heavy 3-0 loss at the hands of Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinals at the Etihad Stadium.
According to BILD, the shocking incident took place in Bayern’s locker room after game ended. The ‘short’, yet ‘loud’ fight allegedly was sparked by Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane’s on-field altercation during the final minutes of the the game. Mane, upon coming on for Jamal Musiala in the 69th minute, had a communication breakdown a short while later with Sane, which broke out an altercation between the two on the pitch.
Bayern could sell Sadio Mane as punishment for punching Sane
Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane further exchanged blows in the Bayern dressing room, with the Senegal international reportedly objecting to the manner the German addressed him. BILD claim, Mane then ‘suddenly’ hit Sane in the face, further escalating the situation as the two got involved in a physical brawl. The ex-Liverpool star allegedly elbowed his the former Man City winger in the lip.
Their Bayern teammates had to interfere in order to spilt the two players to cool down the matters. Since then, The Athletic has claimed that Sane had a bloodied lip as a result of the confrontation. The alleged incident couldn’t have had a more bad timing than this, when Sadio Mane is facing a tough time in Germany since making his move from Merseyside to Munich last summer.
Journalist Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany has now revealed that Mane will apologise to the team at training on Thursday for his conduct. It is unclear what punishment the Senegal international will face, but according to Plettenberg, Bayern Munich are considering offloading Sadio Mane this summer, just one year after they signed him. Plettenberg tweeted:
“News #Mane: He has already arrived the training center this morning. He was smiling. Bosses have discussed several possible consequences yesterday: fine, suspension, even separation. Team training today at 11 am. His apology in front of the team is expected today.”
Sadio Mane only moved to Bayern Munich for £35 million last summer, leaving Liverpool, ending his six-year stint at Anfield. By mid-November, he had 11 goals and four assists in Germany thanks to a strong start. However, he had to undergo a surgery after suffering a tendon injury to his right fibula, which prevented him from competing in the World Cup in Qatar.
The 31-year-old returned to the club last month after spending the previous three months on the sidelines, but he has yet to score and has only registered one assist for the Bundesliga leaders since then. With Bayern’s patience apparently running out, Mane could find himself out of the door at Allianz Arena after just 12 months. Although there won’t be a shortage of potential suitors for him, they would still think twice before making a move given the attacker’s behaviour.