Joshua Kimmich reflects on Sadio Mané’s Bayern Munich tenure

Sadio Mané’s first and now only season at Bayern Munich was a whirlwind. From a bright start to a bitter finish, the Senegalese superstar experienced the gamut of highs and lows in Bavaria.

At least he’s not leaving on bad terms. One of Bayern’s captains, Joshua Kimmich, offered some nice words for the soon-to-depart winger.

“He played a very good first half of the season last season and had good stats. It wasn’t his fault alone that things weren’t going well for us,” Kimmich reflected in comments captured by Sport Bild reporter Tobi Altschäffl (via @iMiaSanMia). “The big picture was not good for us.”

Mané was left out of the squad for the Bavarians’ preseason friendly match against Kawasaki Frontale, ahead of an anticipated move to Saudi Arabia. That will be a second big change in two years for the longtime Liverpool FC mainstay.

“You are a new player abroad — with a new language, new culture and new people,” Kimmich empathized. “When you join as a top star and have to listen to a lot of criticism - some rightly, some wrongly — I can imagine it’s not easy.”