Career nosedive after Bayern exit: Sané’s crisis deepens

Leroy Sané’s move from FC Bayern to Galatasaray Istanbul was supposed to be a fresh start – but so far, things have been anything but smooth for the 29-year-old winger. After a weak start to the season and ongoing struggles with form, criticism of the former German international is growing in Turkey.

One person who is watching the situation particularly closely is Alparslan Erdem, himself a former professional at Galatasaray. On the BILD podcast Stammplatz , the 36-year-old found clear words: “Sané, I think, underestimated it a bit. He might think things will work at Gala without giving a hundred percent, but football doesn’t work like that. No matter where you play – if you’re not one hundred percent fit, things can go downhill very quickly and suddenly you’re in the second division.”

Erdem is convinced that Sané is currently struggling with his fitness: “I think he wasn’t fit enough and needs to get settled first. Gala just won in the Champions League against Liverpool without Sané. He didn’t play a single minute, and that says something.”

With this, the ex-pro is voicing what has long been a topic in Istanbul: Sané does not appear to be at peak physical condition, his acceleration and explosiveness are noticeably reduced. For coach Okan Buruk, this is apparently reason enough to leave him out – even in important matches.

Photo: IMAGO/Depo Photos | Photo: IMAGO/Depo Photos ,

Erdem sees parallels in Sané’s development to a prominent false start last season: Hakim Ziyech, the former Chelsea star, also “wasn’t fit enough” when he arrived at Galatasaray.

“Buruk let him play, five, six, seven, eight games, and very quickly they let him go. It just didn’t work,” Erdem recalls. Ziyech left the club in January for Qatar – and is now without a club.

But for Sané, the former Gala player still sees a chance for a turnaround – thanks to another German star: “I think İlkay Gündoğan will help him a lot, because Ilkay is a leader. He’ll get it done.”

So the hope rests on the experience and leadership qualities of the former ManCity captain, who is expected to provide Sané with stability both on and off the pitch.

In addition to sporting problems, Sané is also making headlines in his private life. At the Munich Oktoberfest, the attacking player was involved in a scuffle . He admitted the incident to BILD : “I was provoked and personally insulted over a longer period in the festival tent – even my club Galatasaray was insulted.”

The winger showed insight: “Of course, I should have reacted more calmly in that moment and just ignored it – that’s something I’ll take away from this.”

For Sané, it remains a difficult start in Turkey – both on and off the pitch.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.