Liverpool star Mohamed Salah was once ‘disrespectful’ to one of his teammates – and the Reds' players were not happy.
Salah, 32, has etched himself into the history book at Anfield, with his 219 goals for the club helping the Reds to several trophies - including the 2019 Champions League and 2020 Premier League title.
The Egyptian’s success on Merseyside coincided with Jurgen Klopp’s tenure at the club with the German signing Salah from Roma in 2017.
From the outside, Salah is seen as a pleasant family man who is a consummate professional acting as a role model to young footballers around the world.
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However, in December 2020, the former Chelsea man was interviewed by two reports from Spanish outlet AS.
The player answered several questions from the reporters, but one particular revelation did not go down well with the Liverpool dressing room at the time.
Salah admitted he was disappointed by the fact he was not named as captain for a Champions League tie away at Midtjylland.
Klopp named a much-changed side, but Salah was one of the stars still involved, scoring in the first minute of the game.
However, then-22-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold wore the captain’s armband in Denmark, to the dismay of his teammate.
“Honestly, I was very disappointed,” admitted Salah.
“I was hoping to be the captain, but it's a coach's decision. I accept it.”
Salah also voiced his admiration for Real Madrid and Barcelona during the interview, which was seen as an attempt to “connect himself” with Spanish fans - according to a report in the Daily Mail, adapted from Chasing Salah: The Biography by Simon Hughes.
The report also suggests that several members of the Liverpool dressing room felt Salah’s comments were disrespectful towards Alexander-Arnold.
The interview was posted online ahead of the Reds’ trip to face Crystal Palace – a game which Salah was benched for.
Many Liverpool players saw this as Klopp’s way of showing Salah who the boss was.
It is said that members of Liverpool’s backroom team believe that Klopp and Salah’s relationship changed as a result of the player’s comments.
There are also suggestions that Salah did not take to Klopp’s ‘father figure’ approach during his Liverpool tenure as the 32-year-old did not see a manager as someone who needed to develop him as a person.
Of course, the pair’s most recent public disagreement came during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw away against West Ham in April 2024.
Salah and Klopp were seen engaging in what appeared to be a heated exchange before he replaced Luis Diaz on the 79-minute mark.
Tensions had not cooled after the full-time whistle as the Liverpool man addressed reporters waiting in the mixed zone at the London Stadium.
"If I speak, there will be fire,” said Salah.
“Fire?” a reporter replied.
“Yes, of course,” Salah answered.
However, Klopp insisted that the ill-feeling was “done” after the pair spoke in the dressing room.
In years to come, this will simply be a footnote connected to Klopp and Salah’s time together at the club.
Fans will remember the goals, and trophies, cherishing the memories the pair created rather than their alleged distant relationship.
Topics: Liverpool, Mohamed Salah, Jurgen Klopp, Premier League, Football, Transfers, Chelsea
Luke Davies