Bayern Munich refute ‘baseless’ suggestions from Sadio Mane’s PR manager that they got rid of him because he’s African

Bayern Munich have refuted suggestions from Sadio Mane's PR manager that they forced him out because he is African.

The former Liverpool star made a high-profile switch to Saudi Arabia this summer just one year after signing for Bayern Munich.

Mane put pen to paper on a jaw-dropping £650,000-a-week contract at Al Nassr, where he plays alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

It put an end to a year of hell for the Senegal international, who signed for Bayern from Liverpool where he made an annual salary of £17.3million.

But Mane's PR manager, Bacary Cisse, has insisted that the German giants forced him out — because he was paid too much for an African.

«It wasn't a footballing decision (to sell him),» he told After Foot RMC.

«Sadio's salary bothered the Germans, they didn't understand how an African joins the club and becomes the top earner ahead of everyone, so they wanted to get rid of him.

»They never called the player's representatives, they never told Sadio face-to-face that they wanted to get rid of him.

«They just sent [Thomas] Tuchel to tell him that he will be a third choice left winger.

»Sadio has nothing to prove to the Germans. He didn't become what he's become thanks to Bayern.

«It was thanks to Liverpool. Bayern were ungrateful. They were paying an African all this money, and that hurt them.

»He was professional until the end. But the people in charge at Bayern weren't fair.

«They first leaked to the media they were ready to sell him for €20m (£17.3m).

»But after he returned to training and they saw he was doing well, they raised the price to €30m (£25.9m).

«Sadio didn't steal his money. From the first meeting with Bayern, he gave them his word that he would join, without talking about the salary. His representatives negotiated