Tension Between Salah and Slot
Mohamed Salah says Liverpool have thrown him under the bus and that his relationship with Arne Slot has collapsed. He sits on the bench for all 90 minutes during the 3-3 draw at Leeds. It is his third straight match without a starting role. After the game, he says the club want him to take full blame. He says he once had a strong bond with Slot. Now he says there is no relationship at all. He cannot explain why. He believes someone at the club wants him out.
Salah says he will always love Liverpool. He says his children feel the same. He says the current treatment is not acceptable. He feels pushed under the bus again. He says he is not the problem. He says he gave too much to Liverpool to deserve this. He says he earned his position and should not fight for it daily. He says he is not bigger than the team. He says he wants the respect he earned. He says football can be harsh.
He will leave for the Africa Cup of Nations on 15 December. He says he does not know his future, even after signing a two-year extension in April. He scored 29 league goals last season as Liverpool won the title. He has not reached that level this season. He has only four goals in 13 league games. He joined Liverpool from Roma in 2017 and became one of the club’s most important scorers.
Saudi teams have chased him for years. Al-Hilal show strong interest. Liverpool decision-makers say they remain open about his future.
Slot Explains Bench Decision
Liverpool lose a 2-0 lead and a 3-2 lead at Leeds. Slot says after the match he wanted more control and did not need a goal. He says he brings Salah on when he needs to score. Slot later says discussions about Salah are normal. He says Salah shaped Liverpool for six or seven years. He says people talk when such a player does not start. Salah’s last start came in the 4-1 home defeat by Eindhoven in late November.
Analysis: Shock in the Squad
If Salah never plays for Liverpool again, he leaves as a legend. Since signing for £34m in 2017, he has scored 188 league goals for Liverpool. Only Shearer, Kane and Rooney have more. Salah won the players’ player of the year award last season. He scored 29 goals and made 18 assists as Liverpool won the title. His contract talks shaped that season. In April he signed a two-year extension. This season he has five goals in 19 games. After 53 league starts in a row he now sits on the bench. Slot still calls him a top professional and says he reacts like a top player.
Salah rarely stops to speak in mixed zones. His decision to talk at Elland Road surprises many. He did something similar last year after beating Southampton. Then he said he was more out than in because he had no new deal. Team-mates were shocked then. They feel the same now.
Salah says he gave everything for Liverpool. He says someone does not want him in the club. He has won the Premier League twice, the Champions League, the FA Cup and both domestic cups. He also won the Super Cup and the Club World Cup. He won the Golden Boot four times. Only Rush and Hunt have more goals for Liverpool. Yet he now faces a bitter ending. He leaves for the Africa Cup of Nations next weekend. The big question is whether he returns as a Liverpool player.
Salah Details His Feelings
Salah says he sat on the bench and could not believe it. He says the result hurts because Liverpool should win games like this. He says Liverpool scored early and controlled the match. He says they conceded silly goals. He says he does not attack team-mates. He says Liverpool must defend better.
He says he cannot believe he stayed on the bench for 90 minutes. He says it is the first time he sits three games in a row. He feels very disappointed. He says he has done too much for Liverpool to face this. He repeats that the club have thrown him under the bus. He says he received many promises in the summer. He says they were not kept.
He says he once had a strong relationship with Slot. He says that relationship is now gone. He says he does not know why. He says he believes someone at Liverpool wants him out. He says he loves the club and the fans. He says he told his mother he knew he would not start. He says he told her to come to the next home match. He says he wants to enjoy it because he does not know what happens next. He says he may say goodbye before the Africa Cup of Nations.
He says the situation is not acceptable. He says he cannot understand the decisions. He says other clubs protect their key players. He says Liverpool treat him as the issue. He says he deserves respect. He repeats that he earned his place. He says football can be unforgiving.
He says he cannot say if he played his last match for Liverpool. He says anything can happen. He says he does not accept the situation. He praises Haaland and says he still leads the scoring charts. He says the treatment hurts more because of that. He says he knows former players will criticise him. He says he expects it.
He refuses to comment on Saudi interest. He says the club would push him into another direction. He says the situation may not be impossible to fix. He says he still loves the club. He says he cannot say what comes next.
He says he scored more goals and made more assists than anyone in his era. He says he would receive better protection elsewhere. He says he remembers a long goal drought by Kane. He says the media trusted Kane. He says he never receives the same trust. He jokes he is sorry to Kane.
He says he does not know who wants him out. He says he cannot point to anyone. He says he asked for explanations. He says he never received one. He says Slot told him the day before he would not play. He says Slot knows his feelings. He says he does not regret signing. He says he wanted to end his career at Liverpool. He says the situation now breaks that plan.
He says he is too fit for such an ending. He says he won every major award five months ago. He says it should not end like this. He says every player struggles at times. He says he now feels alone in defending himself.
Reporters ask if he will speak to Slot again. He says no. He says the relationship is broken. He says something changed behind the scenes. He says team-mates still support him. He says they show him love and respect. He says they are not part of the issue. He says he supports them with experience.
