An Egypt international team-mate of Mohamed Salah has thrown his support behind the Liverpool forward after his bombshell interview
An Egypt international team-mate of Mohamed Salah has thrown his support behind the Liverpool forward after his incendiary interview. The 33-year-old spoke to journalists including the ECHO’s Paul Gorst following the 3-3 draw at Leeds United.
In extraordinary comments, Salah said that he was “being thrown under the bus” by Liverpool and that his relationship with head coach Arne Slot had completely broken down.
It came after the Egyptian was left as an unused substitute as the defending Premier League champions’ troubled season continued after they threw away 2-0 and 3-2 leads at Elland Road.
READ MORE: ‘A towering inferno’ – National media react to Mohamed Salah’s bombshell Liverpool interview
Salah was instrumental in Liverpool’s 20th top-fight title triumph last season, which was Slot’s first in charge after taking over from Jurgen Klopp. He finished the campaign by winning the Premier League Player of the Season award, the Golden Boot for most goals scored and the Playmaker award for most assists.
That made Salah the first player in Premier League history to win all three awards in the same season. However, like many of his team-mates, his form has dipped in the current campaign.
He has netted just five times in 19 games in all competitions and that has led Slot to dropping the third highest goalscorer in the Reds’ history for the past three matches.
That has clearly upset Salah, who said in the bombshell interview: “I could not believe I was sitting on the bench for 90 minutes. That’s the third time. It’s the first time in my career I think.
“I am very disappointed, I have done so much for this club over years, especially last season. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus.
“That’s how I feel. Someone wants me to get all the blame. The club promised me a lot in summer. Now I’m on bench so I can say they haven’t kept those promises.
“I used to have a good relationship (with Slot). Now we don’t have any relationship and I don’t know why. Seems like someone does not want me in the club.”
Salah’s decision to air his feelings in public, at a time when the team and manager are struggling, has been criticised. The draw with Leeds, who scored a 96th-minute equaliser, means Liverpool have won just four of their last 15 matches in all competitions going into Tuesday’s Champions League clash at Inter.
But an Egypt colleague of Salah claims his international team-mate has been “disrespected” by the Reds and that he belongs in a “different category”, like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Ahmed Hassan is a 32-year-old striker who now plays for Al-Ettifaq, who were previously managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, and he posted to his 1.6m followers on X: “As footballers, when we get benched, we feel it, deeply sadness, frustration, even a bit of depression.
“But we wait for that moment to come on, to make an impact, to show the coach why we deserve to start. That’s the reality for most of us.
“But Mo Salah isn’t ‘most of us’. Mo is in a different category like Cristiano and Messi. Players like that don’t get benched.
“And if, for any reason, they start on the bench, you must make sure they’re the first to come on, 60 minutes, 65 minutes maximum… not ‘not even coming in’. That’s just disrespectful to everything he’s done for the club.
“Mo is not just a team-mate, he’s a brother, a leader, and a legend for club and country. Brother, every situation in life is temporary. Moments like this pass. What stays is your greatness and your response.”
The Egypt national team have rallied around Salah, who was back at the Reds’ AXA Training Centre on Sunday.
He will join up with the Pharaohs squad ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday, December 15. That is 48 hours after Liverpool welcome Brighton & Hove Albion to Anfield in the Premier League.
Salah, who is now being linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League in January, hinted that the visit of the Seagulls could be his final appearance for the club when he said on Saturday night: “I called my mum and dad and told them to come to the Brighton game.
“It doesn’t matter if I play or not. I’m going to enjoy it. I am just going to be at Anfield and say goodbye to the fans before the African Cup of Nations, because I don’t know what is going to happen when I am there.”
Before then is the trip to Italy to take on Inter tomorrow (Tuesday). Slot and the Liverpool hierarchy must now decide whether to include Salah in the travelling squad for the Champions League encounter.
The Reds hold an open training session at 11.45am today (Monday). They will then fly out to Italy, where Slot and a member of his squad will speak at a press conference at 6.45pm.
