Mohamed Salah has sparked a crisis at Liverpool with explosive public comments claiming the club has "thrown him under the bus" and that his relationship with manager Arne Slot is now "nonexistent." The 33-year-old forward made the stunning accusations after being benched for three consecutive Premier League games for the first time in his Anfield career.
Salah's outburst followed Saturday's 3-3 draw against Leeds at Elland Road, where Ao Tanaka scored a 96th-minute equalizer. The Egyptian was an unused substitute for the third game running, prompting him to publicly question his future at the club. «I have done so much for this club down the years and especially last season. Now I'm sitting on the bench and I don't know why,» Salah said after the match.
He went further, claiming broken promises and suggesting unnamed officials want him out. «It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus,» Salah stated. «I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am on the bench for three games, so I can't say they kept the promise.» He added: «I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager, and all of a sudden we don't have any relationship. I don't know why, but it seems to me that someone doesn't want me at the club.»
Former striker hits back
The comments drew sharp criticism from former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore, who scored 35 goals in 81 games for the club. Writing on X, Collymore told Salah he is acting above his station and reminded him of Liverpool's institutional values. «One thing remains constant, perhaps more than any other English club, it's always the club first and last, players and managers add their DNA to the club, but the club trumps the individual,» Collymore wrote.
He continued: «Only in the madness of 2025 modern football would the cult of personalities not only question a reasonable conclusion of 'you're not playing well, here's a spell on the bench', but Mo maybe has almost tricked himself onto elevating himself to the untouchable status of Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo, players who could, if they chose, literally do and say as they pleased in the last decade. Mo isn't them, and Liverpool as I said, isn't that club either.»
Van Dijk's backing
The outburst came just days after teammate Virgil van Dijk publicly defended Salah ahead of the Leeds match. «We need him and he will still be important like he has been,» Van Dijk said. «He is still a fantastic player. We still have to remember there is a reason why he has been so successful at the club and we have to respect that. I need him around as one of the leaders. I'm not worried.»
Van Dijk acknowledged Salah's frustration but described it as normal. «He's disappointed but that's absolutely normal as if you're not disappointed when you're not playing two games in a row then there is an issue as well. But it's onto the next now,» the Dutch defender stated.
Liverpool's struggles
The timing adds pressure to Liverpool's already difficult season. The club sits ninth in the Premier League with only four wins from their last 15 outings in all competitions, struggling to qualify for next season's Champions League. Both Salah and Van Dijk signed lucrative two-year contract extensions at the end of last season, with Salah's deal being the most lucrative in Anfield history.
Just over six months ago, Salah was a two-time Premier League winner with a Golden Boot. Liverpool remain unbeaten in games he hasn't started this season, though results against Sunderland and Leeds were draws rather than victories.
Salah is set to travel to Morocco for Egypt's Africa Cup of Nations campaign following Liverpool's upcoming match against Brighton. The January transfer window looms, with speculation about potential interest from Saudi Arabia's Pro League. Analysts suggest the upcoming week will be crucial, with Liverpool's open training on Monday and a Champions League clash with Inter in Milan on Tuesday serving as key indicators of Salah's immediate future.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
