His injury, PSG, Cristiano Ronaldo: Sadio Mané opens up

At last, light at the end of the tunnel for Sadio Mané. Absent for almost 109 days with a knee injury that cost him the Qatar World Cup with Senegal, the Bayern Munich forward returned to competitive action at the weekend in the Bavarians' 3-0 win over Union Berlin. He came on in the 63rd minute to applause from the many supporters at the Allianz Arena. The two-time African Ballon d'Or winner could even have had two assists had Thomas Müller and Alfonso Davies converted his passes.

But the main thing lay elsewhere. With the Senegalese back, Bayern can look ahead with more confidence to their round of 16 second leg against PSG (1-0 to the Bavarians in the first leg) on 8 March. It is a date Sadio Mané cannot wait for. "It's been a long time, but now I feel much better. Standing on the pitch with my team-mates and having the ball at my feet again makes me happy. The club has looked after me very well. The first leg against PSG came too early for me, but the second leg was always in my head. We controlled the first leg well. The 1-0 win away from home puts us in a good position, even if in Munich we have to be incredibly careful against Paris. I watched the game on TV with my friends. I'm very nervous and I do a lot of commentating when I watch matches on TV. But I had faith in my team-mates. Even when Kylian Mbappé came on. He's a great player who had an influence on the game, but our defenders can stop him," he said in an interview with Bild, relayed by Onze Mondial.

Mané surprised by the intensity of the Bundesliga

Having played for Southampton (2014-2016) and Liverpool (2016-2022), Sadio Mané knows the intensity and rigour of the Premier League better than anyone. Even so, the African champion said he was surprised by the physical level of the Bundesliga. "The league is very tight and balanced, look at the table. The atmosphere is great. Why would anyone say no to the Bundesliga? I doubt it. People often say the Premier League is tougher and more physical," he recalled. "Lots of people think that. Out on the pitch here, I noticed: 'Wow! The players here are really strong' - the Bundesliga is at least as physical as the Premier League. On top of that, lots of teams press high. I'm enjoying it a lot. I'm happy with my choice, happy to have ended up in Munich."

Sadio Mané congratulated by Cristiano Ronaldo

He was congratulated on that choice by five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. "I met Cristiano Ronaldo in Mallorca before this season, after my move was completed. He congratulated me and told me: 'A big club! It's a big step for you!'" he says.

The situation at his former club Liverpool

Would Liverpool really be 7th in the Premier League if Sadio Mané were still there? Either way, one thing is certain: the Senegalese number 10 is sorely missed at his former club, who are having a difficult season. But for a man who spent six seasons in the Reds' colours, there is no doubt Liverpool will soon be back. "Liverpool will be back. I'm convinced they will get through this. They've had a lot of injuries and tough tests, but Jürgen Klopp is definitely the right man," he insisted. "He will turn Liverpool around starting this season, the players love him. Of course missing the World Cup hurt me. I was sad, but these things happen. I had to accept the difficult situation and stay positive. It wasn't easy mentally, but this experience can help me in the future."