Why Mohamed Salah announced his Liverpool exit during international break

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Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool exit announcement was planned for the international break to minimize disruption for the Reds ahead of a crucial final run of fixtures

Mohamed Salah released a video on social media to announce he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season(Image: Mohamed Salah/X)

Mohamed Salah announced his departure from Liverpool during the international break to avoid any distractions ahead of a crucial final stretch of the season for the Reds.

Salah joined Liverpool from AS Roma in 2017 and has since established himself as one of the club’s all-time greats, rising to third on Liverpool’s all-time scoring list behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt. During his spell at Anfield, he has won two Premier League titles and a Champions League, among a series of other major honors.

The 33-year-old confirmed his departure in an emotional video shared on social media on Tuesday night. Liverpool FC also released a statement acknowledging the announcement, confirming that an agreement had been reached for his “remarkable” nine-year stay on Merseyside to come to an end at the conclusion of the season. Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher is not interested in being a part of Salah's farewell.

A report by The Athletic has looked into Salah's exit, emphasizing that the timing of the announcement was carefully chosen. It said that: "Salah was determined to keep the news quiet until the international break to ensure that there was no disruption to the team during a crucial run of fixtures.

"The announcement on Tuesday evening was carefully choreographed, with Salah posting a video on his social media platforms followed by the club releasing a statement on their website."

“Unfortunately, the day has come,” Salah said. “This is the first part of my farewell. I will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. "I wanted to start by saying I never imagined how deeply this club, this city, these people, would become part of my life.

"Liverpool is not just a football club," Salah continued. "It is a passion, a history, a spirit that I can't explain in words to anyone not part of this club. We celebrated victory. We won the most important trophies and we fought together through the hardest time in our lives.

Mohamed Salah carefully chose the timing of his exit announcement(Image: Getty Images)

"I want to thank everyone who was part of this club during my time here, especially my teammates, past and present. And to the fans, I don't have enough words. The support you showed me, through the best time of my career, is something I will never forget and something I will always take with me.

"Leaving is never easy. You gave me the best time of my life. I will always be one of you. This club will always be my home, to me and my family. Thank you for everything. Because of all of you, I will never walk alone."

Salah's decision to not cause a distraction contrast significantly from his bombshell interview in December when he accused someone at Liverpool for "throwing him under the bus" and said that his relationship with Arne Slot had broken down. Salah later apologized to his teammates for the upheaval but after the outburst many Reds fans will have expected his departure.

The report also stated that Salah knew his Liverpool journey had come to an end. His celebration after he became the first African player to score 50 Champions League goals during the 4-0 win against Galatasaray at Anfield was emotional as the Egyptian was aware it would be the final time he played at home before the news broke.