Hansi Flick not worried about Leroy Sane’s frustration at being subbed off vs. Schalke

Much to his visible frustration, Leroy Sane was subbed off in the 64th minute of Bayern Munich’s 4-0 win over Schalke and was replaced by Kingsley Coman.

When Sane had reached Bayern’s bench, he looked incredibly frustrated to have come off and he even threw his gloves to the ground. When he was sat on his seat in the substitutes section of the stands, he cut an entirely frustrated and bemused figure, certainly unhappy with not playing any further part in proceedings. He was also seen in deep discussions with Robert Lewandowski, who was also subbed off in the second half.

Per a new report from Sport Bild, Hansi Flick said he isn’t at all worried about Sane’s frustration at being subbed off. Of course, this isn’t the first time Sane has been subbed off, much to his frustration, but Flick explained that it’s impossible for him to play every game: “You can’t expect him to play every game at the top level now. If he’s dissatisfied today, it’s his decision.”

Perhaps offering a bit more insight into his decision to take Sane off against Schalke, Flick spoked about Bayern’s ball retention and distribution. “Overall, I am satisfied with the result, but the way we position ourselves in possession and let the ball circulate is not always good. We have to work on that,” he explained.

It’s a possibility that he felt Sane wasn’t exactly helping Bayern keep possession and keep the ball moving. He didn’t have a poor match, by all accounts, but perhaps Flick felt he could’ve done a better job with his distribution and decision-making. Sane is not exactly the type of player to shy away from taking defenders on, but he did lose a handful of those duels in Gelsenkirchen and conceded possession a few times as well.

Whether Flick was trying to send a subtle message to Sane, or if he was just more worried with preserving his legs is certainly up for debate at the moment. However, that was the sixth time this season Sane had been subbed off, so it really seems like Flick is expecting more out of Bayern’s star signing.

At some point, something’s got to give.

Photo by Lukas Barth-Tuttas - Pool/Getty Images