Former Liverpool player and current holder of the fastest hat-trick in the Premier League Sadio Mane supposedly hit Leroy Sane after Bayern Munich’s 3-0 defeat to Champions League opponents Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
Sane has since reportedly asked the chiefs of the club not to punish Mane too harshly for their scuffle after the game in the hope they can move on as quickly as possible and put the drama behind them.
Mane, now 31, has inevitably been dropped and fined by the German giants for allegedly hitting Sane following the midweek defeat. The Senegalese forward will not be featuring in their Bundesliga game against 14th-placed Hoffenheim at the illustrious Allianz Arena this Saturday.
How does Leroy Sane feel about Sadio Mane after the incident?
It’s claimed that the former City winger wishes to consign the incident to the annals of history and turn the focus back to Bayern’s campaign.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are aiming to once more regain their title, where they currently sit two points ahead of Borussia Dortmund in second place.
Per German outlet Sport1, Sane discussed the incident with the club higher-ups, wishing the club not to impose a harsh punishment on Mane to avoid escalating the incident any further and avoid dragging it out any further.
It is speculated Bayern’s CEO Oliver Khan and also sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic want to see a response from Mane, who runs the risk of being shown the door if he cannot finish the season in strong fashion. The former Premier League winner is struggling to capture his best form in Germany.
Mane’s struggles in Germany
He has scored 11 goals and contributed five assists to Bayern since transferring from Liverpool to the reigning champions of Germany, where a leg injury has dampened his progress, where he was forced to miss out on the Qatar World Cup, giving him a very short amount of time to silence the critics.
Bayern currently have just seven games remaining for the current season with Saturday’s game quickly approaching.
Bayern Munich facing uphill task in Champions League
Goals from Bernardo Silva, Rodri, and Man City’s newest star signing Erling Haaland give City the driver’s seat when going to the Allianz Arena this upcoming Wednesday, but all eyes will be on the troubled relationship between the two wingers.
Sane and Mane soon started arguing following a mistake in communication and gradual breakdown taking place between the pair. It is said that argument continued into the dressing room, where Mane then allegedly struck Sane in the face, with the former being reportedly unhappy with the way the latter spoke to him.
Bayern broke their silence by releasing a statement on Thursday, exclaiming: “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.”
