Jürgen Klopp has lamented the lack of form of his former pupil Sadio Mane (31-Al Nasr).
Speaking at his press conference a day ahead of the Reds 카지노‘ friendly against Bayern Munich, Klopp said: “To be honest, I don’t know what happened at Bayern Munich. Mane was in great form when he came out of Liverpool. He came out in really good shape. He was a world-class player, no doubt about it.”
Mane left Klopp’s side last summer to join Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga. The Bavarians paid €41 million for the player, who signed a three-year contract. Great expectations followed.
However, Mane’s career at Bayern Munich has been less than stellar. In 38 appearances in all competitions, including the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League (UCL), he scored 12 goals and provided six assists. In the middle of the season, he suffered a fractured fibula. He was sidelined from November last year to February this year.
Klopp said: “I think Mane was unlucky. He suffered a terrible injury at a crucial moment. Because of this, he will miss the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He is very proud of his country, Senegal. He must be struggling with the idea that he couldn’t help his country at the World Cup.”
Mane was a favorite of Klopp’s during his time at Liverpool. He joined the Reds from Southampton and went on to make 269 appearances in a Liverpool shirt, scoring 120 goals and providing 48 assists. He also helped the Reds win the English Premier League (EPL) and the Champions League.
He left Liverpool to a standing ovation and a beautiful farewell. However, his time at Bayern Munich was marred not only by injuries but also by an assault on a teammate. In April, after a Champions League match against Man City, Mane punched Leroy Sane in the face in the locker room and was severely punished for it.
“Mane’s first season was a disappointment,” said Thomas Tuchel, who took over as Bayern Munich coach midway through the trial. Even on a recent pre-season tour of Japan, Mane was not a starter and was often a late substitute.
Eventually, he opted for a move to Saudi Arabia’s Al Nasr. Mane signed a four-year contract with Al Nasr and was handed the number 10 jersey. After playing in the Bundesliga and Champions League until last season, he will be playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia starting in the new season.