Sadio Mane could reportedly be set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season, but having almost won the most recent Ballon d'Or, the Bavarian giants may need to reconsider their stance on letting the Senegalese go.
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The years 2022 and 2023 could not have been more contrasting for the west African. At the beginning of last year, the forward had just lifted his nation's first-ever Africa Cup of Nations title in Cameroon, having been victorious over then-teammate Mohamed Salah and Egypt on penalties. He would return to Anfield and play a crucial role in Liverpool's ultimately unsuccessful fight to capture an unprecedented quadruple. Nine of his 16 Premier League goals came in 2022 as Jurgen Klopp's side came within 12 minutes of becoming champions of England. He scored against Benfica and Villarreal in the quarter-finals and semi-finals in the UEFA Champions League, and bagged a brace in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City. Simply put, he was Jurgen Klopp's best player. Mane, however, only had the English domestic cups to show for his efforts and it's perhaps this lack of prestigious silverware that saw him finish second behind Karim Benzema in the 2022 Ballon d'Or voting.
The year continued to go well for him as he would leave Merseyside in the off-season to sign a big-money contract with Bayern. He started off well for the German champions, scoring six goals and assisting three in his first 14 Bundesliga matches, but after recovering from the leg injury he sustained just before the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the club's relationship with their marquee signing quickly deteriorated.
Mane was reportedly involved in two altercations after coming back from injury. A verbal one with ex-Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann, and physical one with his attacking partner Leroy Sane. It is believed the forward had words with the German tactician after his lack of involvement against Paris Saint-Germain in the UCL. The Bavarians squad were shocked by the outburst given the attacker's usual calm demeanour. Nagelsmann would be fired shortly after that argument, and Thomas Tuchel would be appointed, but the reigning CAF African Men's Footballer of the Year would go on to cause more controversy when he punched Sane in the mouth after a Champions League clash against Manchester City.
While the Bavarians dressing room may look unstable with Mane within its confines, it is the instability among the club's chiefs that has filtered all the way down. After they lifted their 11th league championship in a row, they released a statement in which they revealed they had relieved Oliver Kahn of his duty as the club's chief executive officer and Hasan Salihamidzic as sporting director too. Hansi Flick's fallout with Salihamidzic caused massive ripple effects because it was that which ultimately saw the departure of long-time CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Kahn was appointed to replace Rummenigge but since his integration into Die Roten's executive, the club has not looked the same, suffering back-to-back Champions League quarter-final eliminations. This past Bundesliga title race was the closest it's been in a decade, but the two-time treble winners managed to retain their status as German champions.
Rummenigge is believed to have stated that he would only return to the club if Salihamidzic was fired and with the Bosnian having now departed, the German executive was recently welcomed as a new member of Bayern's supervisory board. The 67-year-old German will use his vast network to help Tuchel assemble a competitive squad once again.
Not forgetting the player Mane was when they signed him, there is still the potential that he could help Bayern ascend back to the submit of European football. It was only a year ago that the prolific winger was tearing the Premier League apart, and with his debut campaign in Germany under the belt, he will be raring to show the Allianz Arena faithful what he is capable of. The stability Rummenigge comes with at executive level will likely translate to the pitch and allow the 2021 AFCON winner to thrive in the Bundesliga.
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The forward needs to take accountability for his actions, but the top brass have to also be held responsible for such a culture to be cultivated where his actions could even take place. Mane is not automatically a bad player just because he did not perform to his usual standards in his first season in a new league, while also suffering a significant injury, and perhaps Rummenigge will see that. The former RB Salzburg forward is still an exceptional footballer and if a club wishes to compete at the highest level, they need the best players, and Mane is still one of those.
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