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Bayern's Tuchel says he still backs Mané after suspension
Reports in the German media said that Mane struck Sane in the face while they were in the locker room after Tuesday's Champions League loss to Manchester City
- PUBLISHED: Fri 14 Apr 2023, 5:14 PM
- By:
- AP
Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel said Friday he still supports Sadio Mane after the forward apologized for a confrontation with teammate Leroy Sane.
Bayern suspended Mane from its squad for Saturday's game against Hoffenheim for “misconduct.” It followed reports in German media that he struck Sane in the face while they were in the locker room after Tuesday's Champions League loss to Manchester City.
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Neither the players nor the club have clarified exactly what happened. Tuchel said he did not see the incident personally but spoke with Mane, Sane and other players and staff who saw it, and said Mane had apologized “to everyone involved.”
“I am his first lawyer and his first defender. I've known him for so long and I know his entourage,” Tuchel said of Mane. “He has my full support. He had that before and he still has it after this mistake that he has made. Everyone has the right to make a mistake.”
Despite the turmoil around the Mane situation and his own unexpected appointment as coach three weeks ago, Tuchel said the atmosphere at the club remains "calm". The incident may even have had a “cleaning function”, he added.
Forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting remains out of the Bayern team for Hoffenheim after missing the last two games with a knee issue. Bayern leads the standings by two points from Borussia Dortmund, which plays Stuttgart on Saturday.
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