Van der Vaart sparked debate by claiming Sane “threw his career away” after choosing غلطة سراي over staying at Bayern. The winger ended his five-year spell at the Allianz Arena this summer, turning down a contract extension after changing agents and opting for a fresh challenge.
Sane, who played over 220 games for Bayern with 61 goals and 55 assists, rejected interest from other European clubs to join the Turkish champions, citing the unforgettable atmosphere at Rams Park as a key factor. Since arriving, he has registered one goal and one assist in four starts.
The winger’s departure left the Bavarians without one of their most experienced wide men, forcing the Bundesliga champions to splash €75 million (£65m/$87m) to sign Diaz from ليفربول. The Colombian has hit the ground running, with three goals and two assists in his first four matches, quickly easing fears over losing Sane.
في مقابلة مع ركض ex-Hamburg and ريال مدريد star Van der Vaart criticised Sane’s decision to leave Bayern for Turkey, questioning whether the winger had fulfilled his potential.
“Yes, definitely. Diaz is a fighter and gives his all every minute. He’s very good,” he said. “But I just think Sane’s development is a shame. He threw his career away himself.”
The Dutchman feels Bayern will be fine without the ألمانيا international, as he backed Vincent Kompany to lead them to دوري أبطال أوروبا success: “Why not? I always find comparisons with other teams difficult. All top teams are at a good level. But to win the Champions League, you also have to be mentally top. After the previous season and their Champions League triumph, everyone thought Paris were unbeatable. And then they almost lost the Super Cup to الدوري الأوروبي الفائزين توتنهام. They even suffered a defeat in the Club كأس العالم النهائي ضد تشيلسي.”
Sane is expected to feature again this weekend when Galatasaray face Eyupspor in the Turkish الدوري السوبر, with the winger hoping to silence his critics. Meanwhile, Bayern will face Hamburg in the Bundesliga, with Diaz looking to continue his electric start and establish himself as the club’s new attacking talisman.