- Salah collided with Klopp on the touchline during Liverpool’s draw on Saturday
- He then told reporters: “If I speak, there will be fire” later in the mixed zone.
- Arne Slot needs to be his own manager. Replacing Jurgen Klopp is an impossible task. Don’t try to emulate him – Listen to the It’s all starting! podcast
Mohamed Salah stopping to chat to the media as he left the London Stadium was as unlikely as Liverpool now winning the Premier League title this season after their dismal 2-2 draw at West Ham.
He has spoken in the mixed zone – a corridor of uncertainty where players must pass by the hungry press – only twice in his seven years at Liverpool. But still, a small group of journalists who optimistically cover most of the Reds’ games went down to the bowels of the stadium.
Actually, sport mail was there on a mission to get some quick quotes from players about incoming boss Arne Slot. Neither star stopped to chat, clearly under instructions, but less than 10 words from Salah caused a bigger stir around the world than a long chat with any other player.
Salah’s row with boss Jurgen Klopp appeared on the back pages of every English newspaper and topped television bulletins in Cairo. They could have been accused of sensationalism after Klopp tried to put out the fire by saying the issue had been resolved quickly.
But minutes after the German publicly offered an olive branch, Salah added fuel to the fire and, in a matter of seconds, the Egyptian’s taunts were seen around the world. A man of few words as always, but a phrase that showed that not all is well with the Liverpool legend.
Mohamed Salah argued with Jurgen Klopp on the touchline as he prepared to take on Liverpool during their 2-2 draw against West Ham on Saturday.
‘If I speak, there will be fire,’ Salah told reporters as he walked through the mixed zone
Salah’s outburst will have set off alarm bells for incoming Liverpool manager Arne Slot
“Want to chat, Mo?” and ‘Is everything okay with Jurgen now, Mo?’ were the questions they sent him. “There will be fire if I speak,” was her response as she walked toward the team bus. ‘Fire?’, questioned a journalist with a hint of surprise.
A switch could have been flipped in Salah’s head in that second; This would add to the circus of speculation. He could have reneged and brushed it off right then and there. But he simply replied, “Of course.”
Whatever Salah was biting his tongue would clearly have been an insult to Klopp, the manager who has been so influential in his journey from a “flop” at Chelsea to one of the greatest players this league has ever seen.
But the strange episode, stemming from Salah’s frustration at being eliminated for the second time in three games, would have set off alarm bells in Boston and Rotterdam, with owners Fenway Sports Group and incoming Feyenoord coach Slot.
As detailed in these pages last week, Liverpool face a conundrum this summer. Salah ends his contract in 2025: will they get paid this year? He is still their star player and where would they be without his 37 goals this year? Prima facie, it would be foolish to sell it.
But this incident has suddenly made a potential nine-figure sum look a little more attractive. Saudi club Al Ittihad were turned down £150 million last August. No player is bigger than the club and this threatens to be a tense situation that continues to dominate the debates.
Salah is right to be frustrated. He is the shining star of the Klopp era and it is ending badly. But, in the same way, he is not right to react the way he did. He must apologize and allow this to be swept under the rug before Liverpool’s top brass begin to conclude that the end is near.
Andy Robertson (right) will be evaluated on Monday after suffering an ankle injury during the draw.
Meanwhile, full-back Andy Robertson will be assessed on Monday after limping away from the London Stadium with what appeared to be an ankle injury, but the Scot is hopeful it will not be a significant knock.
Scotland manager Steve Clarke has faced a number of high-profile injury problems ahead of this summer’s European Championship and would have been sweating when Robertson went down towards the end of a 2-2 draw.
He gestured toward the substitutes’ bench and, although he remained on the field, was seen limping as he boarded the team bus. Harvey Elliott also felt uncomfortable after the game. But there are hopes it is nothing more than an impact injury for Robertson, with scans scheduled for Monday.
