Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he has no answer to what went wrong with Sadio Mane at Bayern Munich.
The Senegal superstar joined the Bavarian giants last summer after six successful years at Anfield. Things were however not smooth for Mane at the Allianz Arena, first suffering a knee injury that ruled him out for three months which included missing the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
He also got into an altercation with teammate Leroy Sane which led to Bayern suspending him for one game. Despite winning the Bundesliga title, Mane is on his way to Saudi Arabian Pro League outfit Al Nassr, joining a long list of players, including Africans, that have moved this summer.
Klopp, speaking ahead of Liverpool’s pre-season friendly with Bayern on Wednesday however cited the expectations of playing in a new environment as a possible reason for Mane’s Bayern struggles and stated he has not spoken to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations winner about it.
“I don’t know what went wrong. I think Sadio (Mane) left us, he left us on a high, in a really good shape, world-class player, no shadow of a doubt,” he said.
“I think we can ask anybody in the club would say exactly that. But new environment, new, new situation, new expectations, maybe. You don’t know. I didn’t speak to Sadio about it. We didn’t, we had contact, but not in this kind of manner.
“And so how it is sometimes is in football. So to fulfil your full potential, I think everything has to fall in place pretty much. Bit of luck is helpful as well, and that was obviously not the case.”
Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold was chosen as Liverpool’s vice-captain ahead of Virgil van Dijk for the new season and though still only 24 years of age, Klopp says it was a no-brainer picking the academy graduate.
“It’s clear that in a club like this, you need a specific DNA. And if not him, who could have that? And it was always clear that it would be, not since he’s 18 and these kind of conversations,” Klopp continued.
“But he knows how I value him and we had these similar conversations, similar conversation about that in the past. And it was always clear it was about timing, so we didn’t think, both, didn’t think that we have to think about that this year. But now most of the situation and it was not a difficult one, it’s not against anybody else. Not at all. That’s a decision for Trent.
“And yeah, I can imagine for a boy from Liverpool, from West Derby and his family, it’s a big thing. But it’s not because of that, it’s because of the personality. And I think he likes it and I think he deserves it. That’s it.”
Liverpool will begin their 2023-24 Premier League season against Chelsea on August 13.
