Bremen: Werder Bremen have suspended midfielder Naby Keita for the rest of the season because he left the squad after learning he wouldn’t be a starter in Sunday’s match at Bayer Leverkusen. Bremen said on Tuesday that Keita did not make the trip to Leverkusen and went home instead. Bremen lost 5-0 in Leverkusen, which assured the hosts of a first-ever league title. Keita, 28, will not train with the team and is also barred from the dressing room, according to a club statement, which said that a “substantial” fine was also imposed on him. “Naby’s behaviour is intolerable for us as a club. With this action, he has let his team down in a tense sporting and squad situation and put himself above the team. We cannot allow that,” Bremen head of professional football Clemens Fritz said. “At this stage of the season, we need to be fully focussed on the upcoming games and have a close-knit team. There was therefore no alternative to the measures we took.” Bremen are 12th with five matches remaining and not safe yet, five points above the danger zone after seven games without victory. (dpa)
