The lackluster farewell of the Munich world star

Dubia / bavarian. The end of the unhappy relationship between Sadio Mané and FC Bayern no longer had any glamour or cosmopolitanism. Without a farewell game, without the pain of separation, without big gestures and words, the former dream partners in Tokyo went apart. The huge Bayern entourage flew on to Singapore after the arduous 1-0 win against Kawasaki Frontale in the second friendly of the Asian tour. The 31-year-old Mané stayed behind in the Japanese metropolis.

Mané’s next football station is Saudi Arabia, where he will appear in a senior duet with multiple world footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, 38, at the Al-Nassr club. The transfer of millions to the desert, which is financially lucrative alone, is a done deal.

So Mané did not board Bavaria’s charter plane. Rather, the most urgent Munich candidate for sale was released because he was “in final contract negotiations”, as the Bavarians confirmed when asked. Thomas Tuchel had already stopped using the attacker, who had been advised to leave early by Bayern, on Saturday. “You know what’s usually coming,” the coach said after the usual procedure before the transfer was completed.

“It’s not your fault alone”

Mané is to travel on to Dubai for a medical check-up – and then sign a long-term contract with the Saudis, allegedly worth 40 million euros net per year. Bayern, on the other hand, are happy that after just one year and a lot of fanfare, Mané’s misunderstanding has been settled. The 32 million euro transfer fee to Liverpool will probably come back in – and a top earner is gone.

Africa’s football star turned out to be a Bayern mistake. After 38 competitive games, twelve goals are remembered as well as an injury before the World Cup, a disappointing time afterwards and a solid argument with teammate Leroy Sané.

In the game against Kawasaki, Mané squatted next to the substitutes’ bench on an armchair, with a smartphone and AirPods in his ears. After that, without saying a word, he crept into the Bayern bus one last time. At least there were conciliatory farewell words from teammate Joshua Kimmich. “He wasn’t solely to blame for the fact that it didn’t work for us in the second half of the season. When you come as a top star, you have to listen to a lot of criticism – some rightly, some wrongly.”