‘It wasn’t his fault things went bad’ – Kimmich defends Sadio Mane

Joshua Kimmich has jumped to the defence of Sadio Mane saying the Senegal international doesn’t deserve the blame for Bayern Munich’s poor run last season.

Mane joined the Bavarians last summer from Liverpool after ending his long-standing relationship with the Premier League side.

Mane’s first and only season with Bayern Munich was a blur. From a bright start to a tragic end, the Senegalese sensation had a rollercoaster ride in Bavaria.

With Bayern winning only the league on the final day of the 2022/23 season, the winger was the subject of a lot of criticism, especially after his row with Leroy Sane.

However, Bayern’s captain has admitted none of the club’s troubles was that solely created by Mane.

“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 said to Sport Bild reporter Tobi Altschäffl. “The big picture was not good for us.”

Mane was left out of Bayern Munich’s pre-season friendly against Kawasaki Frontale, ahead of an expected move to Saudi Arabia. That will be the longstanding Liverpool FC mainstay’s second major change in two years.

“You are a new player abroad — with a new language, new culture and new people,” Kimmich empathised. “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.”