Sadio Mané (30) is currently one of the biggest stars in world football. Even a world-class club like Liverpool FC has not managed to replace the Senegalese on an equal footing. In addition, he can look back on impressive successes: Champions League winner, winner of the Africa Cup of Nations, English champion.
He made his real breakthrough in Europe between 2012 and 2014 at Red Bull Salzburg, but he never really wanted to go to Austria. But on the contrary …
“I didn’t want to go, but I had to. I was asked and I cried. I still remember it like it was yesterday: I cried like a little child because I had to go to Austria. I didn’t know the language, I didn’t know the people. Metz was my second home. That was tough,” revealed today’s Bayern star in an interview with “RMC Sport”.
At the time, Mané was playing for FC Metz in France and felt at home. “I wanted to stay there. That was my first professional club. I remember that the Austrian club made an offer. Bernard Serin (who was president of the France club at the time, editor’s note) replied: ‘If you want him, you have to pay four million euros.’ He didn’t think a second division player was worth that much.”
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But Salzburg paid the sum, Mané wanted to have it. The transfer ultimately paid off for both sides. Red Bull was able to sell the striker to Southampton FC two years later for €23m. Almost six times the transfer fee you paid yourself! And the 91-time international got off to a flying start in the Premier League.
In Southampton, he played himself into the limelight to such an extent that he caught the eye of league rivals FC Liverpool with coach Jürgen Klopp (55). The ‘Saints’ also made a huge transfer plus, collecting 41 million euros.
In Munich he is now less than 150 kilometers away from Salzburg. From the place he didn’t want to be at the time.
