Bundesliga
Leroy Sane's kid brother to train with Schalke pros
Sidi Sane, younger brother of Leroy, will train with the Schalke first team during pre-season, the club have confirmed.
Sane, 19, has been at Schalke since the age of eight. He featured prominently for the U19s and debuted for the reserves in Germany's fourth tier last term, impressing enough to earn a new contract through to summer 2024, as well as the opportunity to further his game with the senior team in the months ahead.
"After such a good season with the U19s, Sidi will have the chance to train with the pros," explained Knappenschmiede academy director Mathias Schober upon news of Sane's contract extension.
"We're always delighted when one of our own gets the chance to strut their stuff with the seniors, though he'll remain part of the academy so he can gain match practice with the U23s."
Sane was involved in 17 of Schalke's 18 U19s Bundesliga matches in 2020/21, scoring six times. He made his debut for the U23s in mid-April, playing the full 90 minutes of a 1-0 over Bonner, and spent time training with the seniors towards the end of the season. Like older sibling Leroy, the 6'1" winger moved to Schalke from the Bayer Leverkusen youths.
Leroy is among the Schalke academy's most decorated graduates, alongside the likes of Manuel Neuer and Mesut Özil. He went on to register 13 goals and eight assists in 57 appearances for the Royal Blues before winning back-to-back English Premier League titles with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
The elder Sane has repeated the trick since joining Bayern Munich in July 2020, whilst getting his hands on the DFL Supercup and FIFA Club World Cup. The 44-time Germany international produced 14 goals and 15 assists in 45 outings in 2021/22 - his best single-season return yet at senior level.
Watch: Leroy Sane's top 5 Bundesliga goals
Sport is in the Sane family DNA. Dad Souleymane played professionally in the 1980s-90s, scoring 51 goals in 174 Bundesliga outings for Kaiserslautern and Wattenschied, as well as 65 in 152 Bundesliga 2 games. Lesser-known brother Kim came through the Schalke academy before retiring through injury in his early 20s, while mother Regina Weber was an Olympic bronze medal-winning gymnast.