Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry has been tagged as an amateur by the club’s sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic for attending fashion week in Paris.
The winger was seen at the showcase event when his team needed a goal in the second game between Bayern Munich against RB Leipzig and Cologne, where his team could only manage a 1-1 draw on both occasions. Gnabry was taken off at halftime, but it is his behavior off the field that has drawn criticism.
Following Bayern’s loss of points, Salihamidzic harshly criticized the German international.
Salihamidzic told the German news agency dpa, “That is amateurish. “Exactly what I dislike about it. Bayern Munich is not the place to act carelessly on a day off. The purpose of a day off is to recover your energy before the next game.”
Tuesday’s 1-1 tie between Bayern and Cologne saw Gnabry replaced at half time due to a lackluster performance.
Leon Goretzka and Gnabry were the other two players Nagelsmann replaced at halftime, and the German coach claimed the changes had the desired impact on enhancing Bayern’s performance.
Before the game against Cologne, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann had cautioned Gnabry that he needed to perform on the field.
Despite being substituted out early against Cologne, the 27-year-old did record an assist against Leipzig, bringing his total for goal contributions in 2022–23 to 21.
Despite the criticism, Gnabry has had a productive season so far for Bayern Munich, scoring 10 goals in 25 games across all competitions.
Bayern’s advantage at the top of the standings has been halved to four points as a result of the successive draws since the Bundesliga returned following the World Cup.
Tuesday’s game saw Bayern fall behind to an Ellyes Skhiri volley in the fourth minute, and Nagelsmann’s team needed a goal from Joshua Kimmich late to save a point.
With Bayern now only three points ahead of Union Berlin at the top of the table, Gnabry should be in line for a starting spot against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
On Gnabry’s presence in Paris, head coach Julian Nagelsmann, who lost first-team goalkeeper and club captain Manuel Neuer to a fractured leg while skiing during his time off following the World Cup, seemed more at ease.
On the other hand, Hasan Salihamidzic, the sporting director at Bayern Munich, has refused to rule out the possibility that winger Serge Gnabry will leave the team.
The signing of Sadio Mane from Liverpool has raised concerns about Gnabry’s long-term future at the team.
The German international’s contract at the Allianz Arena was recently extended until 2026, and while Salihamidzic is hoping the winger will stay, he has said that a transfer cannot be ruled out if the player decides to go on to greener pastures.
