9 hours ago
3
An international teammate from Egypt has rallied behind Liverpool's forward, Mohamed Salah, following his explosive interview.
The 33-year-old spoke to journalists, including Matt Addison from Liverpool.com, after the 3-3 draw at Leeds. In a remarkable outburst, Salah claimed he was "being thrown under the bus" by Liverpool and that his relationship with head coach Arne Slot had completely deteriorated.
This came after the Egyptian star was left on the bench during the Reds' turbulent season, which saw them squander 2-0 and 3-2 leads at Elland Road. Salah played a pivotal role in Liverpool's 20th top-flight title victory last season, which marked Slot's first in charge after succeeding Jurgen Klopp.
However, like many of his colleagues, his form has waned this season. With only five goals in 19 matches across all competitions, Slot has relegated the third-highest goalscorer in Liverpool's history to the bench for the past three games.
Salah's decision to voice his grievances publicly, particularly during a challenging period for the team and manager, has drawn criticism. The draw with Leeds means Liverpool has secured just four victories from its last 15 matches across all competitions ahead of Tuesday's game with Inter Milan.
However, an Egyptian teammate of Salah argues that the Reds have "disrespected" his international colleague, asserting that he belongs in a "different category," akin to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Ahmed Hassan, a 32-year-old striker currently playing for Al-Ettifaq, a club previously managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, shared with his 1.6 million 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 teammate, 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 Egyptian national team have shown solidarity with Salah, who returned to the Reds' AXA Training Centre on Sunday. He is set to link up with the Pharaohs squad ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday, 15 December. That comes 48 hours after Liverpool hosts Brighton at Anfield in the Premier League.
Salah, who is now being linked with a January switch to the Saudi Pro League, suggested that the Seagulls' visit could mark his final outing for the club when he revealed on Saturday: "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 that, there's the journey to Italy for Tuesday's clash with Inter. The decision now rests with Slot and the Liverpool management on whether to include Salah in the squad travelling for the Champions League match.
The Reds are scheduled for an open training session at 11:45am local time on Monday (6:45am ET). Following this, they'll jet off to Italy, where Slot and a squad member will address the media at a press conference.
English (US) ·