Sensational Senegalese footballer, Sadio Mane, has signed a 3-year deal with Bayern Munich thought to be worth around £37m. Bidding a fond farewell to his former Anfield club of six years, the 30-year-old left-winger insists it’s time to move on to face a new challenge with the Bundesliga champions.
We’ll be looking at Mane’s footballing journey, his achievements with Liverpool over the past few years, and what the expectations are for him joining Bayern Munich.
Mane’s Movement
With the much-anticipated departure of Bayern’s star striker Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona, Bayern Munich’s new signing has brought renewed hope to the team and its fans. For the betting folk amongst you, the new signing is also likely to have raised Bayern’s odds of winning the Champions League.
Born and raised in the Senegalese village of Bambali, Sadio Mane was spotted by scouts at a trial in the capital city of Dakar when he was just 15 years old. Upon leaving Generation Foot, he made his professional debut with French Ligue 2 club Metz at the age of 19 years.
A year later, Mane was signed for the Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg, where he enjoyed two successful seasons, scoring 42 goals in total. Mane was then snapped up by Southampton FC, where he made the record-breaking, fastest hat-trick in Premier League history, at 2 minutes and 56 seconds.
In the summer of 2016, the star forward made the switch to Liverpool FC as Jurgen Klopp’s first major signing. Mane helped the Reds win six major trophies, including the Champions League, Premier League, FIFA Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, FA Cup, and the EFL (Carabao) Cup.
At international level, Mane helped Senegal to glory in the Africa Cup of Nations (2021), with the superstar scoring the winning spot-kick as his nation defeated Egypt on penalties.
Most recently, Mane was named African Footballer of the Year for the second time, ahead of former team-mate, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
What Mane Brings to Bayern
This Senegalese footballer is a versatile forward whose main traits are his finishing, speed, technique, and trickery in possession. Known for his intelligent play, Mane likes to continually press the opposition’s defense to create chances for his team, with more room to maneuver, pass, and score.
Despite his modest stature of 5’9 “, Mane manages to display credible ability in the air as well as on the ground. He tends to shoot with his stronger, right foot and one of his notable key strengths is his ability to remain calm under pressure. These qualities should make Bayern a more effective side.
Bayern Heritage in the German Premier League
As Sadio Mane begins his new challenge at the Allianz Arena ground, it’s hoped that he can achieve with Bayern Munich what was made possible at Liverpool FC. The dream is not impossible, as this sturdy club has brought the trophy home on six previous occasions.
It all began way back in the 1973−1974 season, when Bayern’s dominance of European football kicked off in earnest with a 4−0 win over Atletico Madrid. The Bavarians won their first European Cup with the current Bayern president scoring a double, along with the club’s all-time greatest goal scorer, Gerd Muller.
The Bavarians were back a year later with a 2−0 win over Leeds United in the 1974−1975 European Cup. The clinching goal was left until rather late in the match, when Gerd Muller brought it home again.
1975−1976 saw a third successive win of the Champions Cup by Bayern Munich, in a 1−0 victory over Saint-Etienne. The glory goal came from Franz Roth this time, capping off a career spanning more than 300 ties for the Die Roten.
Following a lengthy hiatus, Bayern returned jubilant from the 2000−2001 UEFA Champions League, with a slim but victorious win over Valencia. It was a 1−1 draw taken to penalties, where Mauricio Pellegrino missed the decisive spot-kick and Bayern was left celebrating.
The 2012−2013 UEFA Champions League saw the Bavarians bounce back, at the hands of rivals Borussia Dortmund, with a 2−1 victory. Glory was snatched by Arjen Robben, who scored the winning goal in the 89th minute.
Bayern’s sixth trophy came in the 2019−2020 UEFA Champions League, when a single goal scored by Kingsley Coman secured their victory against opponents Paris Saint-German.
Filling the Gap of Lewandowski
With the recent signing of superstar Sadio Mane, there’s sure to be hope of the trophy returning once again into Bayern’s possession. As we mentioned earlier, Mane has big boots to fill with the departure of fan-favorite Lewandowski, but with the forward’s intelligent play, we should see a more efficient team.
Mane is a Humble Man
Despite Mane’s successful career to date, he’s renowned for being a quiet and reserved man who’s remained extremely grounded and ‘in touch’ with what’s going on in the world around him. His charitable contributions have included a £500,000 donation to build a hospital in his home village.
He sadly recalls his sister being born at home due to the lack of medical care and hospital facilities, this spurred him on to change the lives of the Bambali villagers. In 2019, Mane donated £250,000 to fund the building of a secondary school in Bambali and at the start of the pandemic, sent £41,000 to the Senegal government.
During an interview, Mane was quoted saying, “Why would I want ten Ferraris, twenty diamond watches, or two planes? What will these objects do for me and for the world? I was hungry, I had to work on the field, had no education, and played football barefoot. Today, thanks to football, I can help my people.”
With Mane’s notable calmness under pressure, willingness to put others first, and experience in the fight for success, Bayern can depend on his positive influence within the dressing room. This is not a self-indulgent man but a kind and reserved fellow with a love for the game and a fighting spirit.
Conclusion
Bayern have got a strong side this season with the addition of Sadio Mane and it’s hoped that their dreams can be recognized. The new Bayern forward has assured fans that the Bavarians will do better with him in the team. Mane is looking to recreate the same success at Bayern as he had at Liverpool.
The Senegal star insists that he will show no mercy to his former club should they meet in the Champions League this year, even though he was part of the Liverpool team that bypassed Bayern in the Champions League in 2019. He is adamant that the Bavarians will win next time round.