Bayern Munich have suspended forward Sadio Mane for one game following an altercation with Leroy Sane after this week’s Champions League loss to Man City, the club announced Thursday.
Newspaper Bild reported former City winger Sane was hit in the face by the Senegal attacker, suffering a cut lip after Tuesday’s loss.
“Sadio Mane, 31, will not be in the FC Bayern squad for the home game against 1899 Hoffenheim next Saturday,” Bayern said.
“The reason is misconduct by Mane after FC Bayern’s Champions League game at Manchester City.
Mane will also be subject to a fine, they added.
Mane will be available for boss Thomas Tuchel in the second leg against Manchester City on Wednesday in Munich thanks to the one-match suspension.
According to Bild, the altercation began during Bayern’s defeat in Manchester, with video showing the two shouting on the field.
Since moving from Liverpool to the German champions in the summer of 2022, Mane has had a trying time.
The Champions League winner, who was brought in to replace Robert Lewandowski, has 11 goals in 32 games for Bayern.
In his first seven games across all competitions for Bayern, the two-time African Player of the Year scored six goals, but he hasn’t scored since October.
Mane has also had six goals ruled out for offside so far this season for Bayern, a Bundesliga record.
Mane missed nine club games and Senegal’s World Cup campaign in Qatar due to a leg injury he sustained while playing for Bayern against Werder Bremen in November.
When asked when he will resume the magnificent form he demonstrated with Liverpool, a beaming Mane responded, “soon, I promise you,” to reporters after Bayern’s German Cup loss at the hands of Freiburg in early April.
In Saturday’s 1-0 league victory against Freiburg, Mane was given his first start under Tuchel, who took over for the fired Julian Nagelsmann last month. Mane missed many scoring opportunities.
Oliver Kahn, the CEO of Bayern, acknowledged Mane’s difficulties before to the incident and attributed them to the former Southampton striker having “a lot of competition” for starting positions.
“He’s not familiar with that (coming from Liverpool) and maybe isn’t used to it.”
He’s still trying to find himself.
Bayern turned down demands from the media for comment on the altercation.
Prior to the suspension being issued on Thursday morning, Mane and Sane were spotted on the practice field.
The defeat was one of Bayern’s most damaging in Champions League history and their biggest in the competition since 2017.
The six-time European champions now have little chance of overturning the deficit in the return leg on Wednesday in Munich to advance to the semi-finals, even with Mane available.
