Naby Keita no longer plays for Werder Bremen after an infamous bus trip in April, but he insists he didn’t do anything wrong.
The Guinean, who is contracted to Bremen but banished to their second team, has commented on the incident that ended his Bundesliga return.
Keita returned to Germany in the summer of 2023 after an injury-hit spell at Liverpool, and continued to spend almost all of his time on the treatment table.
When he returned in April, he was banished from the first team allegedly because he refused to travel for a match against Bayer Leverkusen after finding out he’d be on the bench.
Finally responding to that story, he said: “We will have to talk about the incident on the bus one day, but everyone who knows me knows that I am a professional and not undisciplined.
“Despite everything, I apologised to the group before the end of last season because we are all human and nobody is perfect. Wherever I have been, from Salzburg to Leipzig to Liverpool, I have always tried to behave in an exemplary manner.”
Discussing his Bremen move, he added: “I had the option to stay in Liverpool, but after five years I wanted to get more playing time somewhere else. I had numerous offers, but I chose Bremen because I already know Germany. The coach and management also convinced me.
“If I had wanted the money, I would have signed somewhere other than Bremen.”
Keita is now hoping for a future elsewhere with some years left on the clock.
“It’s not in my hands,” he said. “I train with them (the U-23 players) and help the young players while I wait for things to turn out well.
“I’m 29 years old now – and I feel great. I’m training and waiting to see what the future brings. The day I notice that my body can’t cope anymore, I’ll stop, but at the moment I feel good. I still have a few years left to give to football.”
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