Leroy Sane has reportedly pleaded with Bayern Munich bosses not to penalise Sadio Mane too severely for their altercation following the Manchester City match. According to BILD, the Bavarian club has suspended and fined Mane, 31, for allegedly punching Sane in the aftermath of their 3-0 defeat at the Etihad on Tuesday.
As a result of his suspension, Sadio Mane won’t play in this Saturday’s Bundesliga match between Bayern and Hoffenheim at the Allianz Arena. Furthermore, according to the German publication, the two forwards met with manager Thomas Tuchel, 49, and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic, 46, to discuss how to move past their altercation.
Sane saves the day for Sadio Mane despite getting punched
A former Man City winger, Leroy Sane apparently wants to put the incident with Sadio Mane in the past to focus on the current season with Bayern. The team led by the newly appointed coach Thomas Tuchel is two points ahead of Borussia Dortmund who sit second in the Bundesliga, in an attempt to defend their crown.
Sane spoke with Bayern’s management about the incident, according to the German site SPORT1. According to reports, the Germany international requested them to spare Mane a severe punishment so as to prevent the argument from lingering longer than required. The former Liverpool star is said to have hit Sane so hard, leaving him with a bleeding lip.
It was also being reported that Bayern are even contemplating the option of getting rid of Sadio Mane in the summer, after only 12 months at the club. Bayern’s CEO Oliver Khan and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic want to watch how their 2022 summer signing responds on the pitch to his conduct, and if the season ends poorly for the striker, he might be let go.
The Senegalese star has already had difficulties reaching his peak performance in Germany. Since joining Bayern last summer from Liverpool, Mane has scored 11 goals and contributed five assists, albeit a leg injury has slowed him down and even prevented him from competing in the World Cup in Qatar. However, the forward is running out of time to silence his critics.
After this weekend’s encounter against Hoffenheim, Bayern will have just six Bundesliga games left to play. As a result of their unexpected home loss to Freiburg, they have already been eliminated from the DFB-Pokal Cup, and their chances of progressing through to the semifinals of the Champions League are poor. Man City will head to the Allianz Arena on Wednesday with a dominating advantage thanks to goals from Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Erling Haaland.
Soon after Sadio Mane replaced Jamal Musiala in the 69th minute, he got into a fight with Sane. Following a lack of communication, it led to an argument between the two teammates. The altercation is thought to have proceeded into the dressing room, where Mane is accused of striking Sane in the face. According to reports, the ex-Liverpool man didn’t like the way the ex-Man City winger spoke to him. Bayern released a statement on Thursday, breaking their silence on the matter. It read:
“Sadio Mane, 31, will not be included in the FC Bayern squad for this Saturday’s home match against 1899 Hoffenheim. This is due to his misconduct after Bayern’s Champions League match at Manchester City. Mane will also be given a fine.”