Former Liverpool head coach, 58-year-old German Jürgen Klopp, has spoken in defence of Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah in his spat with the club’s current manager, Arne Slot.
The German knows Salah well, as the Egyptian was a key player for Liverpool during his reign. In Klopp’s view, Salah is not a particularly confrontational person, but he is someone who needs to play regularly:
“We are all heavily influenced by our past—how we grew up, where we grew up. Mo understood early that he had to do more than others. He always kept developing. He never stops. That’s his mentality.
After every summer break, he would return with a new skill. It seemed like he spent the whole summer working on one specific type of pass.
We pushed each other to make sure we never stopped. And we really didn’t stop. The moment we lifted the Premier League trophy bonded us forever. He will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time. I wouldn’t say he’s easy to manage, but he’s not difficult either. You only have problems with Mo Salah if he’s not playing or if you take him off the pitch.” Klopp stated
Salah joined Liverpool in 2017, when the team was already under Klopp’s leadership. During Klopp’s tenure, Liverpool won the Champions League, the English Premier League, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Klopp left Liverpool in June 2024 after nine years with the club.
