Mohamed Salah’s touchline confrontation with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp allegedly stemmed from the Egyptian breaking his manager’s rule regarding “interaction.”
Concerns have arisen regarding the atmosphere within the Anfield team following the incident involving the star forward during the Premier League match against West Ham.
Salah, Liverpool’s key winger, entered the game as a substitute in the 79th minute, shortly after Michail Antonio scored an equalizing goal for the hosts in the 2-2 draw.
Tension between Salah and Klopp carried over to the final whistle, as Liverpool’s leading goal-scorer headed down the tunnel without shaking hands with his boss, and it is that lack of interaction that is said to have started the argument.
The Sun credits a source as saying: “This has happened occasionally with Jurgen and other players. He is very big on interaction with his subs before they go on and felt it didn’t happen at first with Mo. Mo was obviously annoyed at being left out of the team and wasn’t in the best of moods while Jurgen wasn’t happy with his behaviour.
The players were given a couple of days off after the match and are meeting up again on Tuesday. It is hoped that by then tensions will have calmed down.”
Klopp attempted to brush the issue under the carpet afterwards, telling reporters after the match: “We spoke about it in the dressing room, but it’s done for me. That’s it.”
Salah hinted at brewing tensions with his remark, stating that there would be consequences if he were to speak out amidst ongoing speculation. Rumors persist about Salah’s potential departure from Liverpool in the summer, fueled by reported interest from Saudi Arabia.
Additionally, Klopp’s announcement of his departure at the end of the season adds further uncertainty. Liverpool’s position in the Premier League table is precarious, sitting third after a draw against West Ham, trailing Arsenal by five points with three games remaining.