Liverpool were a serious force under Jurgen Klopp. One of the main reasons why they were so good is that they had one of the best attacking trios in world football, consisting of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. The trio were unstoppable at their very best and led Liverpool to success in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
However, despite being so good together on the pitch, it appeared that two of the three players were not the best of friends. Salah and Mane had numerous clashes during their time together at Liverpool.
Their most infamous clash came back in 2019 when tensions reached boiling point during Liverpool’s 3-0 victory over Burnley. Mane was incensed that Salah did not pass him the ball in the final moments of the big win and made his frustrations known when he was subbed off shortly after.
Salah has now given a revealing interview to France Football where he went into more detail about his relationship with the Senegalese footballer.
Salah Opens Up About His Relationship With Mane
Salah has admitted there was tension between him and Mane, and suggested that it stemmed from Mane’s desire to score as many goals as himself. He said, per GetFrenchFootballNews: “I scored a lot (44 goals in my first season), and then Sadio told himself it was his turn to score more too.
“Yes, there was tension with Sadio. But look, we remained professional until the end, and I don’t think it affected the team. It’s natural for someone to want more, and I understand that—he’s a competitor. Off the pitch, we weren’t very close, but we always respected each other.”
Salah also hit back at suggestions that he is selfish. He continued: “As for the comments about me being selfish? I don’t care. People have the right to think what they want—that’s their business.
But I invite everyone to notice that the player who provided the most assists to Mané was me (18 assists). People can look at the facts, but clearly, it’s easier to throw out statements like that—they make big headlines.”
Salah Reveals How Close He Was to Leaving Liverpool
Salah also admitted there was a chance he would Liverpool as negotiations over a new contract dragged on. But, ultimately, he signed a new contract, extending his stay at the club until 2027. Commenting on the likelihood of him leaving, Salah said, per GetFrenchFootballNews: “It was a possibility, yes. It was actually a bit strange, we were really going strong this season, and there was this negotiation that wasn’t easy. In the end, all’s well that ends well: we’re champions and I’m staying for two more seasons.”
He added: “I guess it was ultimately a huge advantage because I had the best statistical season of my life. The possibility that it would be my last season here, perhaps, gave me the desire to make the most of it and give everything I had to win the title I had promised. I had this mindset: if the club doesn’t want to extend my contract, no worries, let’s finish as well as possible so I can leave with a bang.
