Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool this summer (Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah hasn’t shied away from sharing his thoughts about his teammates over the years. In fact, the Reds icon has openly mentioned sharing the pitch with former winger Sadio Mane and new signing Hugo Ekitike, for very contrasting reasons. Last month, Salah surprised the football world by announcing that he would be leaving Liverpool this summer after nine years at the club. The Egyptian sits third on the Reds’ all-time goalscoring list and has been the talisman on which much of the club’s recent glory has rested.
A significant part of that success was built on Salah’s deadly attacking partnership with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino under Jurgen Klopp. The trio, who won the Premier League and Champions League, were very effective on the pitch, but questions frequently arose about Salah’s relationship with Senegalese star Mane. Salah admitted there was “tension” between the two players, with the pair famously clashing after Salah missed a pass to Mane in the away game against Burnley. The pair have also clashed before when they represented their country at the African Cup of Nations.
In an interview with French publication L’Equipe, Salah admitted that he is no longer friends with Mane. “For sure, there was some tension between us and Sadio,” Salah said, adding: “Just to be clear, we were professional until the end. I don’t think it affected the team.”
“It’s human to want more. I understand that, he’s a competitor. Off the pitch, we weren’t that close, but we always respected each other.” Salah also responded to reports that Mane believed the winger had a selfish personality when in possession. “I don’t care. People can think what they want and that’s their right,” he said.
“But I would like everyone to note that it was I who provided the most assists to Mane. You can consider the facts, but it’s obviously easier to spout a phrase like that. It makes the headlines and I know how it works.”
“As long as it stays within the bounds of respect, that’s fine with me. But that doesn’t mean this opinion is true. After all, I know what I did and my conscience is clear.”
Mohamed Salah struggles to fully get along with Hugo Ekitike (Image: Getty Images)
At the beginning of this campaign, the 33-year-old also spoke candidly about adjusting to life with a new attacking force. Salah admitted he has yet to establish an understanding with his new colleagues, alongside Arne Slott’s newly-signed attacker Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
On the Men in Blazers podcast, the forward highlighted the special challenges with Ekitike and his other new teammates, admitting he needs time to build chemistry with them.
“So far, I still don’t understand the connection,” Salah said. “Like Darwin (Nunez) or Lucho (Luis Diaz) or the players they used to play up front, or Diogo (Jota). I knew where to start with Diogo and Darwin. I knew how they played, but with Hugo he’s still new.
“Sometimes I need the ball on the field and sometimes I need the ball in the spaces. I’m trying to understand that by watching training sessions and videos. The coach has taught me that, so I’ll understand it soon. It will also help me develop my game.”
Liverpool have struggled in the Premier League this season, but Ekitike, 23, appears to have built a strong bond with his fellow forwards, scoring 17 goals and contributing six assists so far.
Salah signed a new two-year contract at the end of last season but will leave Anfield this summer. Despite this, it remains unclear where the Premier League icon will ply his trade once he leaves Liverpool.
