Sadio Mane has been suspended and received a fine after punching fellow Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane in the face, the club have confirmed.
Mane’s time at Bayern has been eventful to say the least, with recent months bringing claims of a confrontation with then-manager Julian Nagelsmann.
His struggles on the pitch – where he is now 12 games without a goal – have been matched off it, with the aftermath of Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to Man City bringing an incident with Sane in the dressing room.
According to Sky Germany, after an argument with Sane in the closing stages at the Etihad, Mane then punched his team-mate in the face.
The contact left Sane with a bloody lip while the pair were “separated” by the rest of the squad, who were “visibly shocked” by the Senegalese’s actions.
Both players apologised to their team-mates on Thursday ahead of training, while Mane awaited the club’s punishment.
Though there were claims that he could even see his contract terminated – less than a year after joining from Liverpool – the 31-year-old has instead been suspended.
In a statement on Thursday afternoon, Bayern confirmed Mane would “not be included” for their clash with Hoffenheim on Saturday and “will also be given a fine.”
The situation comes in a season which is unravelling for Mane, who arrived as a high-profile signing but has struggled to cement himself as a key player.
In recent weeks he has not been a first-choice starter – including the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Man City, which saw him play the final 21 minutes off the bench.
Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg has speculated that Mane will not stay in Munich beyond the summer, with there “many players who are critical” of his conduct.
It is sad considering the status he enjoyed at Liverpool, with 120 goals and 38 assists coming in 269 games over a six-year period that saw him win every trophy possible.
Bayern are currently top of the Bundesliga but only two points clear of Dortmund, while outsiders Union Berlin, RB Leipzig and SC Freiburg still lurk.