Former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has been suspended by Werder Bremen until the end of the season.
Bremen sporting director Clemens Fritz claimed on Saturday that the 29-year-old refused to travel for the Bundesliga match against Bayer Leverkusen after discovering he had been left out of the starting lineup.
Keita refuted the accusation in an Instagram response, saying Fritz was trying to “tarnish” his reputation.
Bremen announced on Tuesday that Keita had been suspended for the remainder of the season and fined a “substantial fine”.
A club statement read: “After finding out he would not be in the starting XI against Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Naby Keita chose not to take the field with the team and decided to return home .”
SV Werder Bremen have suspended Naby Keïta until the end of the season.
The club also handed out a substantial fine to the midfielder. The 28-year-old will no longer train with the team and will no longer be part of the first-team dressing room.#werder pic.twitter.com/CW1gTNKfMa
– SV Werder Bremen FR (@werderbremen_en) April 16, 2024
He adds: “SV Werder Bremen have suspended Naby Keïta until the end of the season.
“The club also imposed a substantial fine on the midfielder. The 29-year-old will no longer train with the team and will no longer be part of the first-team dressing room.
Fritz said: “As a club we will not tolerate Naby’s behavior. He let his team down in a difficult time related to our recent form and squad availability, and put his own interests ahead of those of the team. We cannot allow this.
A combination of injuries and participation in the Africa Cup of Nations with Guinea has limited Keita to just five appearances in all competitions this season.
Keita joined the Bundesliga club last summer after a five-year spell on Merseyside.
He scored 11 goals in 129 appearances for the Reds after joining for a record fee of £52.75 million (now $65.3 million) from RB Leipzig in 2018.
GO FURTHER
Naby Keita and Liverpool: what happened?
(Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)