Sadio Mane had been linked with a swift exit from Bayern Munich after his altercation with Leroy Sane – but the former Manchester City forward has made it clear he is keen to put the incident behind them.
Mane, 31, has been suspended by the German champions for allegedly hitting Sane following their 3-0 Champions League defeat at the Etihad on Tuesday. The former Liverpool forward will not feature in Bayern's Bundesliga game against Hoffenheim at the Allianz Arena this Saturday.
Mirror Football exclusively revealed on Thursday that Mane has been grieving the death of his aunt following her passing in Senegal last weekend, prior to the bust-up. Sane is said to have spoken to his teammate subsequently to underline his desire to move on from it.
Mane joined Bayern Munich in a £35.1million deal from the Reds last summer. The experienced forward pulled the curtain down on six trophy-laden seasons at Anfield after making it clear he wanted a new challenge, but it has not gone to plan.
The Senegalese star hit 120 goals for Liverpool in 269 appearances and collected six major honours during his time in Jurgen Klopp’s side, whose form has nosedived in the first season without the former Southampton forward in their ranks.
Yet for Mane, it has been a transition away from the club. He has found the net just six times in the Bundesliga this campaign and has struggled with both fitness and form in recent months. That form, coupled with this unsavoury incident, led to suggestions that he may be leaving the club just a year after his arrival.
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Bayern were in somewhat of a state of flux with Julian Nagelsmann replaced by Thomas Tuchel in the dugout last month in somewhat of a shock move. Nagelsmann had been a huge fan of Mane, and his public comments throughout the season supported the Senegalese’s role.
Speaking back in October when Mane was going through a tricky patch of form, Nagelsmann explained: "I'm happy with Sadio Mane's performance. The development of the past two weeks was good because of his position. He plays more on the wing where he played at Liverpool before. He did well today, like he did in Barcelona and hopefully will continue this way."
Mane has featured from the start in just one of Tuchel’s four matches in charge of Bayern – featuring against Freiburg in the Bundesliga but not in the side’s German Cup exit, league win over Borussia Dortmund nor the Champions League loss at City, leading to more frustration on the player’s behalf.
Sane and Mane started rowing following a breakdown in communication between the pair after the loss in Manchester, with the former Liverpool star believed to have been unhappy with the manner in which Sane spoke to him. It is alleged that the Senegalese forward hit Sane in the face.
A report from German outlet SPORT1 claims that Sane has pleaded with Bayern chiefs not to administer a harsh punishment on Mane. The players are keen for the incident to be swiftly moved on from for the sake of the dressing room and unity, without such distractions.
Bayern's CEO Oliver Khan and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic are the key decision makers at the Bavarian club. They are demanding a reaction from Mane, a notable arrival at the club, and believe this approach will help him find his top form in the closing weeks of the campaign.
Tuchel has supported the club’s action over suspending Mane for one match but insisted there would be no further punishment: “That's settled,” he told reporters on Friday. “A game and a fine are the consequences of what happened.
“The way both players involved dealt with it, the way the other players dealt with it, it had a cleansing effect. We had a positive atmosphere yesterday and today”.
The fallout from the incident appears to have been handled correctly by both the players and the club – it has been addressed and dealt with, and the focus now returns to Bayern’s pursuit of the Bundesliga title before the reintegration of Mane back into the team.
