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Topics: Werder Bremen, Naby Keita, Football, Bundesliga, Premier League
Chris Byfield
Topics: Werder Bremen, Naby Keita, Football, Bundesliga, Premier League
Werder Bremen have suspended Naby Keita and handed him a "substantial fine".
Werder Bremen announced that they had suspended Keita until the end of the season, while the player had also been handed a "substantial fine".
Upon finding out he would not be in the starting XI to take on Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday, Keita opted not to travel to the ground with the team, and instead chose to go home.
The club's head of football, Clemens Fritz, said: “As a club, we won’t tolerate Naby’s behaviour.
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"He let his team down in a time of difficulty surrounding our recent run of form and squad availability and put his own interests above those of the team. We can’t allow that.
"At this stage of the season, we need full focus on the remaining games and a team who stick together. That’s why we’ve been left with no alternative."
The former Liverpool star will no longer train with the team or be part of the first-team dressing room.
On Monday, Fritz explained: “After Naby found out yesterday that he would not be playing from the start, he decided not to get on the bus but to go home. We will talk to him and his agent tomorrow about the consequences and how to proceed.”
Following Fritz's public criticism, Keita took to social media to defend himself.
Writing on Instagram, he said: “I wish to clarify my situation at my club Werder Bremen. Ever since I arrived at this magnificent club, I have always shown my professionalism. I have always tried to help the club and the great supporters, especially during this time of poor results.
“Since the start of my career, I have never had problems with my discipline and have always shown an exemplary attitude. I will not accept any person trying to tarnish my image.
“To the supporters, I have always worked hard in training to get the right result at the weekend. In training I can only give my best. And to my teammates, good luck for the match."
Keita has featured in just five Bundesliga games for Werder in what has been another injury-hit season.
However, he had been in the last five matchday squads, remaining an unused substitute against Eintracht Frankfurt last Friday having made substitute appearances in the previous two matches.
Those had been Keita’s first Werder appearances since October.
Keita joined Werder on a free transfer following his Liverpool departure at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. He had previously played in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig, and was bought by the Merseyside club for £52.75million in 2018.
The midfielder endured an injury-plagued career at Anfield and was restricted to only 13 appearances in all competitions in his final season at the club.