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Mo Salah Opens Up On Champions League Final Injury

Mo Salah Opens Up On Champions League Final Injury

The Liverpool forward's final against Real Madrid last year was ended by Sergio Ramos' controversial challenge in the first half.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Liverpool fans were hoping that Mo Salah would change the 2018 Champions League final in their favour but the forward was injured after just 31 minutes, now he's opened up on how that's made him feel.

On Wednesday night Liverpool get the chance to get back into the Champions League final, less than a year after their last outing to the final didn't go well at all.

Jurgen Klopp's side play Barcelona on Wednesday with the aim of going one better than last year. The Reds were a surprise package in Europe's elite club competition last year and they faced Real Madrid in the final.

Los Blancos were favourites having won the competition for the previous two years but the attacking prowess of the Premier League side was always going to be a worry for Zinedine Zidane and his team.

Liverpool had much of the early running but couldn't turn their dominance into a lead and then everything went wrong around the half hour mark.

Mo Salah, who'd had a record breaking season, was brought down by Sergio Ramos and had to go off with a shoulder injury. The Egyptian left the pitch as he held back tears. Speaking to Bleacher Report the 26 year old opened up about the moment he came off, saying:

"When I think about it, it was very, very bad. The final of the Champions League, a big dream for yourself, for the city, for the fans and for everyone. We wanted to win the Champions League.

"And that time... mentally, it was very, very bad. Especially when I got substituted, I went to the dressing room and was just crying because I felt like the Champions League was over and the World Cup was over, so it was very tough for me at that moment.

"I think it still hurts until now, because you didn't win it. You were close to winning the Champions League, and you didn't win it."

Salah after the Ramos challenge. Image: PA Images
Salah after the Ramos challenge. Image: PA Images

Klopp had few attacking options on the bench and brought Adam Lallana on, for only his 15th appearance of the season, and Liverpool never really got in the game.

Sadio Mane did equalise to make it 1-1 but Real won the game 3-1 and became the first team to win the Champions League three years in a row.

But it wasn't just that final that was affected for Salah. The former Roma winger had the start of his World Cup delayed and he revealed that he also struggled because of the injury in Russia, adding, "I went to play in the World Cup, it's a dream, but I'm not fit. I'd go to my room, I was almost crying every day.

"Before the first game, when I didn't play, I was in the bus and I was crying on the bus. I went to the bathroom and I was crying in the bathroom. Because I wanted to start the game! I want to play! But I know I am not fit at all to play.

"In one moment that disappeared. It was so difficult, so difficult."

Salah wasn't fit enough at the World Cup to really help Egypt. Image: PA Images
Salah wasn't fit enough at the World Cup to really help Egypt. Image: PA Images

Less than a year on, and with no Ramos in sight, Salah might have the chance to bury the problems of 2018 in Madrid but first he must get past Barcelona.

Featured Image Credit:

Topics: Liverpool, Football News, Sergio Ramos, Barcelona, Premier League, Champions League, Mohamed Salah, Mo Salah, Real Madrid, La Liga