‘I need to adapt’: Mane predicted difficulties before Bayern switch

Bayern Munich striker Sadio Mane admitted he still needs time to adjust in his new surroundings, saying he knew his switch from Liverpool would “not be easy”. 

Speaking to UEFA in an interview published Tuesday, Mane said he was in the process of adapting to the Bundesliga after eight years in the Premier League. 

“Switching from one club to another is not easy,” Mane said. 

“I spent eight very nice years in England, six years at Liverpool and two at Southampton. 

“Now I am in a new country. It is not easy because everything changes so suddenly: people, training, everything. Everything is changing so it is not easy at all. 

“I need to adapt. I knew that and it came as no surprise.”

Mane scored his first goal in six matches in Bayern’s 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Friday. 

The win represented a return to form for Bayern, who had not won in the league since the last game where Mane scored, on matchday three – Bayern’s longest winless run in two decades. 

Mane said his young team were still developing and were bound to have inconsistent results. 

“We have a very, very young squad. It’s the first time in my career that I have been part of such a young group,” Mane said. 

“What really stands out to me is that they’re all hungry. They all want to develop and they’re attentive too.”

Mane’s Bayern host Viktoria Plzen at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.