Bundesliga football club Werder Bremen has suspended midfielder Naby Keita until the end of the season. “Naby's behavior cannot be tolerated by us as a club. With this action he disappointed his team in a tense sporting and personal situation and placed himself above the team. We cannot allow it,” Clemens Fritz, SV Werder's director of professional football, said in a club statement on Tuesday.
Werder Bremen: Keita protested against being nominated for the starting eleven
Keita did not travel with the team to Leverkusen on Saturday after learning that he would not start the Bundesliga match against Bayer Leverkusen. Instead, he had decided to go home and stay away from the game. “At this point in the season we need to fully concentrate on the remaining games and on a team that is very united. “Therefore, there was no alternative to our measures,” Fritz said.
The Guinean international, who has a contract with Werder until June 30, 2026, will from now on not be able to train with the team or be in the professional locker room. According to the club, the 29-year-old will also receive a “significant” fine.
Keita moved from Liverpool FC to Werder this season and was considered a great source of hope for coach Ole Werner's team. However, due to his injuries, he has only played five games in the Bundesliga so far.