It's been a tough week for Sadio Mane.
The Senegal international's club Bayern Munich were hammered 3-0 by Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night, a clash that was overshadowed by an incident involving Mane and team-mate Leroy Sane.
In the dying stages of the game, the two superstars were spotted arguing on the Etihad pitch after a breakdown in communication. The row didn't stop there, with Mane allegedly hitting Sane in the dressing room at full-time. Bayern have responded to the "misconduct" by dropping Mane for their next game and handing him a fine.
Tuesday night's incident isn't a good look for Mane, but he boasts a reputation as one of football's nice guys. Liverpool icon Mohamed Salah, who knows exactly what it's like to argue with the Ballon d'Or runner-up on the pitch, will attest as much.
After Mane left Liverpool for Bayern last summer, Salah was quick to wish him the best of luck. He wrote on Instagram : "It's been quite a ride! Thank you for all the good times and I wish you all the best in your new adventure! You will be missed by all of us."
Mane replied: "Keep doing your things. Brother you are the best."
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That fact Salah holds Mane in such high regard speaks volumes. The pair came to blows during a Premier League game at Burnley in August 2019.
Mane was furious with Salah after he failed to tee him up for an easy goal. Instead, Salah took aim and failed to score. Mane reacted angrily and vented his frustration to captain Jordan Henderson and manager Jurgen Klopp in the Liverpool dugout at Turf Moor.
Yet the incident was soon forgotten about, as Mane and Salah worked together to deliver a first Premier League title for Liverpool. Reds legend Jamie Carragher even sympathised with the pair for rowing in his column for The Telegraph, as issues can "fester" and worsen over time if they are not dealt with quickly.
Although Mane was wrong for allegedly hitting Sane - and has been punished accordingly by missing Saturday's game against Hoffenheim - these things are not uncommon in elite dressing rooms.
"We have sometimes had our disagreements," Mane admitted to France Football when discussing the argument with Salah at Turf Moor. "But it remains a great pleasure to play beside him because I have the feeling we speak the same type of football."
It's also important to note that Mane was grieving the death of a close family member when he attacked Sane, as exclusively revealed by The Mirror. What happened between the two Bayern players was unacceptable, but Mane should not be vilified for it.
