In the concluded Premier League Matchweek 15, Liverpool was held to a 3-3 draw by Leeds United. Salah was left out of the starting lineup for the third consecutive game and failed to get any playing time. After the match, Salah made explosive remarks in an interview, claiming he was "being used as the team's scapegoat" and “did not think he was the problem.”
In his 420 appearances for Liverpool, Mohamed Salah has politely but firmly declined media interviews after almost every final whistle. To be precise, the Egyptian superstar has done so 417 times. Before his explosive remarks on Saturday, he had only taken time to speak to gathered reporters three times post-match, and those interviews were originally intended to chat with just one or two players.
In 2018, Salah reached the 40-goal milestone in his debut season with the Reds, fulfilling a promise he had made in a previous interview. Perhaps he had initially set this lofty target to avoid interviews, but he ultimately kept his word.
In 2019, shortly after winning the Champions League with the Reds, he also gave an interview. At the time in Madrid, with the trophy from the 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur around his neck, he was beaming with pride.
Thirteen months ago, outside a rain-soaked St Mary’s Stadium, Salah told a small group of reporters that he was "far more likely to leave than stay" due to failing to agree on a new contract.
Therefore, when the 33-year-old star informed the Echo that he would return for an interview after showering following Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United—having been an unused substitute the entire game—everyone knew the third-highest goalscorer in Anfield history had plenty to get off his chest.
Reporters gathered in the mixed zone at Elland Road witnessed this legendary conversation. Even though Salah has always been adept at conveying messages and stating his stance through the media, the candor in this nearly 7.5-minute interview was still startling.
From bluntly saying he had been "thrown under the bus" by the club, to admitting his relationship with Arne Slot had completely broken down, to hinting that next week’s home game against Brighton might be his last at Anfield, every word was highly impactful. Salah’s words were like those of a wounded beast stripped of its dignity—and the trigger for all this was being dropped from the starting lineup.
"I don’t even know what to say," Salah admitted. "It’s absurd; I still can’t believe it. The team didn’t win, the result is disappointing, and we conceded some goals we shouldn’t have. But I was sitting on the bench, unable to help my teammates at all.
"I really can’t accept sitting on the bench for the entire 90 minutes—it’s the third time now, something that’s never happened to me in my career. I’m so disappointed. I’ve given so much to this club over the years, especially last season, but now I feel abandoned by the club.
"That’s how I feel—it’s like someone wants to pin all the blame on me. The club made me a lot of promises in the summer, but now I’m just sitting on the bench, and it’s clear they haven’t kept their word.
"I used to have a good relationship with Slot, but now we’re strangers, and I don’t know why. It feels like someone doesn’t want me in the team. I’ve called my parents and asked them to come watch the game against Brighton.
"Whether I play or not, I’ll enjoy it. I just want to say goodbye to the fans at Anfield, because I’m going to the Africa Cup of Nations soon, and no one knows what will happen when I come back.
“To be honest, I can’t accept any of this. At any other club, they would protect their players. But with me, it’s ‘throw Salah under the bus because he’s a problem for the team.’”
Salah’s remarks were no trivial "disturbance"—they directly steered the Liverpool ship straight towards a massive iceberg. And at a time when Liverpool is already in turmoil, everyone is asking: why now? For the reporters present, hearing such a top-level star speak so openly about internal team struggles was undoubtedly a rare scoop.
Salah was not emotionally agitated during the interview, nor did it seem like he was speaking impulsively. He certainly wouldn’t regret his 250-goal career with the Reds on the bus ride back to Merseyside from Yorkshire. No, this was a pre-planned “showdown.”
But for fans and teammates, this bombshell interview will only create more trouble. The 33-year-old star’s remarks have added fuel to an already chaotic season, and his public criticism of Slot and other unnamed club officials has made things even worse for the defending Premier League champions.
On Monday afternoon, Liverpool will fly to Milan to prepare for Tuesday night’s crucial Champions League showdown with last season’s runners-up Inter Milan. Slot, already caught in a media storm, clearly did not need the off-field distractions caused by Salah’s remarks.
From this perspective, Salah’s actions were quite selfish—his form this season has dropped significantly compared to the extraordinary level that helped the team win the title last season. His remarks at Southampton 13 months ago were also criticized for being ill-timed, as the Reds were still top of the standings at the time. The outside world believed he might shake the team’s morale during a crucial title race, even though he himself did not agree with this view.
And his brace in that 3-2 victory over Southampton also strengthened his bargaining position for the new contract he desperately wanted. In the end, the public remarks that night paid off: he signed the biggest contract in Anfield history in April of the same year and ended the season as a Premier League champion and Golden Boot winner.
But this time, there is little justification for his overstepping. Like many of his teammates, Salah has underperformed this season; while benching the team’s top scorer can be described as an unnecessary "risky" move, the fact is that Liverpool have remained unbeaten in the three games he has been on the bench.
It’s understandable that he is dissatisfied after being suddenly benched for three consecutive games following 53 straight Premier League starts. But in top-flight football, form fluctuations are normal, and Slot also needs to plan in advance for his absence during the Africa Cup of Nations—clearly, it can’t be said that the manager is acting out of spite or self-sabotage.
Salah once insisted that "he is not above the club," and that is indeed true. But now, revealing his broken relationship with Slot has essentially thrown the problem to the owners of Fenway Sports Group, and even passed the pressure of choice to the fans.
At 33, Salah holds the biggest contract in Liverpool’s history, with around 18 months left. But this time, he may not get his way. How did it all come to this?
