View 3 ImagesJurgen Klopp has given fresh insight on his time working with Mohamed Salah at Liverpool(Image: OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
Jurgen Klopp has hailed Mohamed Salah as “super special” amid the ongoing uncertainty around the Liverpoolforward’s future. The 33-year-old was absent from the Reds’ matchday squad for their victory over Inter Milan on Tuesday night.
Boss Arne Slot had confirmed ahead of the match that Salah would be omitted following his contentious comments at the weekend. The Liverpool talisman was an unused substitute during the club’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United, marking the third successive game he had been named on the bench.
Afterwards, Salah suggested he felt “thrown under the bus” and unfairly scapegoated for the side’s disappointing results. The Egyptian international revealed that his relationship with Slot had worsened and suggested that this weekend’s encounter against Brighton might be his final appearance in a Liverpool shirt. Salah is due to link up with Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations before the January transfer window opens.
It represents a dramatic turnaround from Salah being celebrated for his 29 league goals as he propelled Liverpool to a second Premier League crown last term. His current return stands at five goals in 19 outings across all competitions. However, former Liverpool manager Klopp has outlined why the club might come to rue potentially losing Salah.
In a new BBC documentary, Mo Salah: Never Give Up, Klopp remarked: “When I arrived, we had the players who were there but we were looking for wingers, for speed. If you have a player with speed, with technique, with finishing skills, with a nose for the goal, that makes him super special.”
After his transfer from Roma in 2017, Salah featured 349 times under Klopp, netting 211 goals. He proved pivotal for the German manager, playing a key role in securing Champions League and Premier League titles for the club.
However, Klopp and Salah did clash towards the end of the manager’s spell. The forward was named on the bench during an away fixture at West Ham in April 2024, and the two had a heated exchange on the sideline as he prepared to enter the match, following the Hammers’ equaliser.
View 3 ImagesKlopp and Salah argued during a match in the manager’s final season at the club(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
“I wouldn’t say Mo is easy to manage, but he’s not difficult to manage,” Klopp said in the BBC documentary. “You have problems with Mo Salah if he’s not playing, you have problems with Mo Salah if you take him off.”
While Klopp might have anticipated Salah’s response to being left out by Slot, he highlighted that Salah’s mentality sets him apart. The former Liverpool manager recalled how the Egypt international would arrive at pre-season training each summer having mastered a new skill, having devoted his time off to enhancing his abilities.
“He knew early that he has to do more,” Klopp said. “That’s why Chelsea was maybe the most important club he had just to say, ‘Ok, I thought I am good enough but now they show me I’m not good enough, so I will go out train a bit harder and come back and then I’m good enough.'”
View 3 ImagesSalah and Klopp worked together at Liverpool for seven seasons(Image: Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
He added: “He never stops. That’s his mindset and he will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.”
When questioned about Salah following Liverpool’s victory at Inter, Slot replied: “I think tonight it should be all about a team like this tonight, against a team like this who are winning and a stadium like this.
“The focus should be on that tonight. I can fully understand if I go into the press conference on Friday and all the questions are on Mo but I think these players deserve for it to be about them tonight.”