Jurgen Klopp's verdict on managing Mohamed Salah at Liverpool forewarned the winger's public fall out with current boss Arne Slot. The ex-Reds boss claimed Salah is not "easy to manage" and tends to cause "problems" when he isn't being played.
The recent rift between Slot and Salah has been making waves in the footballing world, with the latter being dropped from the squad for the match against Inter and left to train solo back in England. Despite Liverpool's Champions League victory in Italy, the spotlight remained on the star player's exile.
In the new BBC One documentary 'Mo Salah - Never Give Up', the 33-year-old's journey to fame is portrayed from a fresh perspective. In the film, Kloppadmits that managing Salah is a unique challenge but maintains that the winger will go down in history as one of football's greats.
Kloppsaid: "We are all massively influenced by our past - how we were raised, where we grew up. Mo knew early on [in his life] that he had to do more than others.
"He always developed. He never stops. That is his mindset. After each summer break he came back and had a new skill. It was like he had spent the whole time just practising one particular type of pass.
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"We pushed each other, just to make sure that we would never stop. And we never did stop. That moment lifting the Premier League bonded us for life. He will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.
"I wouldn't say he is easy to manage, but he is also not difficult to manage. You [only] have problems with Mo Salah if he is not playing or you take him off."
Klopp's words seemed almost prophetic as Salah voiced his discontent after being dropped from Liverpool's starting line-up. Slot left the winger on the bench for three consecutive matches, including a recent 3-3 draw against Leeds United where Salah didn't even make it onto the pitch.
This lack of game time led Salah to accuse the club of scapegoating him. He said: "I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame.
"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, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club.
"It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. This club, I will always support it. My kids will always support it. I love the club so much and I always will.
"It [the situation] is not acceptable to me, to be fair. I don't get it. It's like I'm being thrown more under the bus. I don't think I'm the problem. I have done so much for this club. I don't have to go every day fighting for my position because I earned it. I am not bigger than anyone but I earned my position. It's football. It is what it is."
As Salah is set to depart for AFCON with Egypt in a few days, it's still uncertain whether Slot will bring the disgruntled star back into the team for their home match against Brighton.
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