Sadio Mane, the reluctant star of Bayern Munich, is destined to flourish in the Bundesliga

Sadio Mane, the reluctant star of Bayern Munich, is destined to flourish in the Bundesliga.

Regardless of how he feels about it, Sadio Mane gives Bayern Munich’s team even more star power.

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Although Sadio Mane is expected to be a superstar in the Bundesliga, the new attacker for Bayern Munich sees himself differently.

After six seasons at Liverpool, Mane, 30, become one of the biggest stars in sport. The African Player of the Year acknowledges that when Bayern kicks off the 2022–23 Bundesliga season against Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday, the “entire population of Senegal” will be pulling for him, but he won’t allow being the “star attraction” bother him.

“People say that about me, but I don’t see myself as a global star at all,” Mane told the Bayern website.

“I don’t know where to start with that phrase. All I care about is being part of the team. I do everything for that. I want to go to the limit for my teammates: score goals, provide assists and win games. I’m here to give my absolute best for Bayern Munich.”

On his competitive debut in the 2022 Supercup, Mane accomplished just that. As Bayern defeated RB Leipzig 5-3, the Senegal international scored on his first shot on goal and had two further attempts disallowed for offside. He started out in a preseason friendly win over DC United in July, making it two from two in Bayern jerseys.

“I want to do my best here every day in training and in matches – for the team and the fans,” reitereated Mane, before sharing his sensibility to Bayern’s Mia san mia – Bavarian dialect for ‘we are who we are’ – motto.

“For me, this ‘Mia san mia’ means that the team always comes first. It’s the togetherness that counts, not the individual. That’s what makes FC Bayern so special.

“I can identify with this philosophy very easily because I’m firmly convinced this is the path to success. Identification is the key. That’s why I didn’t hesitate a second when I had the opportunity to move to Munich.”

Mane has a three-year contract with Bayern that runs through June 30, 2025. He played for Red Bull Salzburg over the Bavarian-Austrian border before amassing 120 goals and 38 assists in 269 appearances for Liverpool, winning the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, and FA Cup along the way.

It was one of Austria’s most romantic locations and the place where he met Bayern.

“When I was at Salzburg, I watched a lot of Bayern games, and even after I moved to England, I always kept an eye on the Bundesliga.

“I’ve actually been to the city several times, with friends. And once we were at the Allianz Arena, at a Champions League game against Arsenal. At that time, I simply couldn’t imagine playing there myself one day.

“Now I want to bring all my experience to the team and help make it even stronger so that together we can all achieve our goals.”

Bundesliga triumphs have always been required at Bayern. The number of times the Bavarians have been successful in achieving that is a record 31, including an unprecedented 10 consecutive times since 2012/13. They have also won an unprecedented 20 DFB Cups and eight DFL Supercups, and in 2019–20, they won a sixth UEFA Champions League.

Mane has accepted a wager at his new club despite not being a gambler. Instead, he chooses to “give back” and spend his money in local charities. I’ll colour my hair red if I help Bayern win the Champions League, which he won with Liverpool in 2018–19, and makes it to two more finals!

It’s about as outrageous as Mane, who now has a blonde flash, will allow himself to get. Unless, of course, he’s on the football field, tying up the defense of the opponent, scoring goals, and motivating kids in Munich, his native Bambali, and elsewhere.

Mane’s response to being named the second-ever African Player of the Year

“The fact that children climb trees especially for me motivates me immensely, of course,” Mane said, acknowledging the younger Bayern fans who have found a novel way to catch a glimpse of their new No.17 at the club’s Säbener Straße training ground.

“I still remember today that as a child, I admired great players and wanted to be like them. That’s why it’s very important to me to make children happy with my play.”

Even while it may not be to Mane’s liking, he is unquestionably a celebrity in both children’s and adults’ eyes. And once Senegal’s all-time leading scorer begins to score goals for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, that star power will only become stronger.

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