Mané affair: El Hadji Diouf plays down row
Speaking on NCI, El Hadji Diouf gave his view on the altercation between Sadio Mané and Leroy Sané after the Champions League exit
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While the Sadio Mané and Leroy Sané altercation is officially a closed matter at Bayern Munich, the debate rages on among the wider public. In Germany the focus has mostly been on Mané's behaviour, but in Senegal many have rallied to defend the former Liverpool man, starting with several ex-internationals, including Diomansy Kamara. Quiet on the subject until now, El Hadji Diouf has broken his silence to give his opinion on the affair.
Read more on the subject: Mané-Sané affair: Germany caught between bewilderment, doubt and questions
Asked to comment on the affair in an interview with Nouvelle Chaîne Ivoirienne (NCI), the two-time African Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or) sought to strike a measured tone while downplaying the situation. "I've had to knock heads with opponents. These things happen in a dressing room. Sadio is not violent, nor nasty enough to act like that", he said at first, before continuing: "I still don't know what happened. We talk every day, but I haven't called him these last two days because a lot of people are talking and I preferred to let him concentrate. I'll call him to get the real information."
Response expected on the pitch
For El Hadji Diouf, it is time for calm in an affair that has generated a great deal of coverage. All the more so because Leroy Sané has Senegalese roots through his father, Souleymane Sané, himself a former Senegal international. A factor that should help defuse the situation. "They are from the same country and the same region. Sané's dad also did a lot for the national team. We mustn't forget that", Diouf reminded, adding that Sadio Mané must now leave the altercation behind him and focus on the end of the season.
Scoring for Bayern in the defeat at Mainz (3-1), the Senegalese found the net again after a long goal drought and a knee injury. With the Bavarians having lost top spot in the Bundesliga, they will need a confident Sadio Mané at the peak of his powers as they try to win a new league title against their rivals Dortmund.
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Lassana CAMARA