Mohamed Salah has admitted there was “tension” with Sadio Mane while the pair starred as teammates for Liverpool, as the Egyptian defended himself against accusations that he was selfish on the pitch.
Salah and Mane were Liverpool’s main sources of goals during the height of Jurgen Klopp’s reign at Anfield, and they won the Premier League and Champions League during a five-year spell together at the club. Mane left in 2022 to join Bayern Munich, before switching to play for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
The duo came under particular scrutiny after a match at Burnley when Salah took a shot at goal rather than passing to Mane, who was waiting free in the six-yard box. Mane reacted furiously and had to be calmed down by players and staff after being substituted soon afterwards.
Their relationship was not helped by an international rivalry, which saw Mane’s Senegal triumph over Salah’s Egypt in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations final. Mane scored the winning penalty in the shootout, in the process denying captain Salah the chance to take Egypt’s fifth kick.
“Yes, there was tension with Sadio,” Salah told L’Equipe. “But we were professional until the end. I don’t think it affected the team. It’s human to want more, I understand that, he’s a competitor. Off the pitch we weren’t very close, but we always respected each other.”
Salah, who currently leads this season’s Premier League assists chart, rejected the idea that he was a selfish teammate.
“People can think what they want, it’s their right,” he added. “But I invite everyone to note that the person who provided Mane with the most assists is me. We can look at the facts, but it’s obviously easier to throw out phrases like that; it makes the headlines, I know how it works.
“As long as it remains within the limits of respect, that’s fine with me. But that doesn’t mean that this opinion is true. At the end of the day, I know what I did and my conscience is clear.”
