Life hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for Sadio Mane since he decided to leave Liverpool last year. The Senegalese hero decided to make a move to Bayern Munich in an attempt of pushing his career forward and improving his chances of winning the coveted Ballon d’Or.
Fate, however, had other ideas. Mane has been experiencing a very frustrating debut season at Bayern, which was mostly hindered by an awful injury he sustained last year – the same one that forced him to miss the Qatar World Cup.
He was brought in as a shadow Robert Lewandowski replacement but hasn’t been able to replicate the heroics of the Polish forward at all. Mane has struggled to properly adapt himself to the new surroundings and is not a regular starter for the Bundesliga side either.
It also appears that he might not be settling in well with the squad either. Normally known as a down-to-earth, charitable person, Mane was involved in some shocking controversy after Bayern were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League by a dominant Manchester City side.
The loss to City at the Etihad Stadium caused Mane to seemingly implode and he was seen notably arguing with teammate Leroy Sane over something on the pitch. The real confrontation, however, happened once the game was over. The two Bayern forwards kept at each other’s throats after the game and the argument soon turned ugly.
Mane reportedly punched Sane in the face after a physical altercation, leaving the German winger with a notable scar on his face. Bayern punished the Senegalese winger by suspending him for a bit before Sane reportedly asked them not to cancel his contract – something that was being contemplated.
The news of someone like Mane assaulting a fellow teammate surprised many because it just doesn’t feel like something he would do. He’s always been praised for being an ideal teammate and getting along really well with everyone he plays alongside.
The altercation could’ve been the culmination of all the frustration and anger that might’ve built up inside Mane for how disappointing his season has gone and over missing the World Cup. He probably took out his pent-up aggression on Sane, with their controversial altercation adding a bad reputation for a club experiencing its own problems this season.
It also appears that EA Sports are disappointed with Mane for what happened with his teammate and have decided to punish him for this. Fans have noticed that in the latest update, Mane no longer has the ‘team player’ trait on his FIFA card.
He is still rated at an impressive 87 but is not considered a team player in the game anymore after his recent actions. It’s claimed that ‘Players with this trait put loyalty to their club above their own personal interests, which will drive storylines in Career Mode,’ indicating that Mane isn’t considered a fully loyal player in the Bayern squad anymore after whatever transpired.
The avid FIFA gamers will probably think twice before making the Senegalese winger their team captain after he lost this trait in the recent update. Mane is clearly undergoing a really difficult season and has to put in a lot of effort – both on and off the pitch – to regain the trust of his teammates as well as the Bayern faithful.
