Former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita has been suspended by Werder Bremen until the end of the season and issued a “significant fine” for his refusal to travel with the team for Sunday’s Bundesliga match against Bayer Leverkusen.
The club stated that Keita, 29, chose to return home upon learning that he would not be in the starting lineup for the game.
Werder Bremen suffered a 5-0 defeat as Leverkusen clinched the Bundesliga title.
Football director Clemens Fritz stated, “We cannot condone Naby’s actions. He let down his teammates during a challenging period in light of our recent performance and squad availability issues, prioritizing his own interests over the team’s.”
“We cannot accept this. At this crucial stage of the season, we require complete focus on the remaining matches and a united team. Hence, we had no choice but to take this action.”
As part of his punishment, the Guinea international will not participate in team training or have access to the first-team dressing room.
Keita, who moved to Werder Bremen in June 2023 after a five-year spell at Liverpool, has only featured in five league games for the German club, with just one start.