Rio Ferdinand claims Sadio Mane punching Leroy Sane is ‘part and parcel’ of the game

Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves have weighed in on events at Bayern Munich that saw Sadio Mane punch his team-mate Leroy Sane in the face after their first-leg 3-0 Champions League quarter-final defeat with Manchester City.

The duo clashed in a fiery dressing room exchange after previously being seen shouting at each other on the Etihad pitch as Pep Guardiola’s side ran riot.

Sane was pictured with a bruised lip after the incident that saw former Liverpool winger Mane suspended and fined for the physical altercation, however Ferdinand admitted he was not surprised to hear what had happened. 

‘That’s football, I’m not surprised at all, I know it makes headlines but if something doesn’t go right on football pitch, questions get asked, sometimes arms get raised, voices go to a higher pitch and that is part and parcel,’ he said on BT Sport before the second-leg.

‘The element that comes out from the changing room is fisty cuffs and we are alleged to believe Sane was punched by Mane. 

Mane (left) was left on the bench while Sane (right) started Wednesday’s tie with Man City

Mane (left) punched Bayern Munich team-mate Leroy Sane (right) after their 3-0 loss to Manchester City

‘But I’m not surprised with how many times we have seen arguments turned into putting hands on each other, then you shake hands, back out playing and celebrating a goal together.

Sane was chosen to start Wednesday’s second-leg against City at the Allianz stadium while Mane was left on the bench as the hosts sought to claw back a three-goal deficit.

Former Bayern Munich and Man United midfielder Hargreaves further reinforced Ferdinand’s argument as he explained that they had a disagreement in training before their 2008 Champions League final with Chelsea that the Red Devils went on to win.

Hargreaves added: We (him and Ferdinand) argued in training game before the Champions League final between Chelsea. 

‘Sir Alex (Ferguson) had to come and say calm down. It’s heated, there’s a lot of pressure and people don’t like losing.

Ex-Man City defender Joleon Lescott also gave his view on the Mane-Sane bust-up but stressed that while emotions can flare between team-mates, coming to blows is ‘uncalled for’. 

Mane was fined and handed a one match suspension by Bayern Munich for the incident

Rio Ferdinand (left) admitted clashes were part of the game while Owen Hargreaves (right) revealed he clashed with his former Man United team-mate before the 2008 Champions League final

‘When you see players arguing it is standard, what happened in dressing room is uncalled for, but I enjoyed that as a player.

Mane served a one-match ban imposed by his club for his actions and although Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel was unhappy with the star’s actions, stressed that his side should have used any friction as a positive.

‘But, it was an incident that we do not like – it was too much. 

We (tried) to turn it around, we turned around the momentum and used it as positive energy in the last match, (but) it did not happen. I don’t think it will have a major impact, no.’