Dispute resolved
©IMAGO
In the public dispute with Liverpool and coach Arne Slot, Reds icon Mohamed Salah (33) apologized to his teammates. Teammate Curtis Jones revealed this after his Egyptian partner left for the Africa Cup of Nations.
“Mo is an independent person and can say what he thinks,” emphasized Jones in an interview with “Sky Sports” in England. “He apologized to us and said, ‘If I hurt or offended anyone, I’m sorry.’ That’s just how he is.”
After his explosive statements a few weeks ago, Salah was the number one topic of conversation in Liverpool. Coach Slot had left the long-time superstar on the bench several times or not even called him into the squad for the Champions League game in Milan. Salah, in turn, flirted with leaving after the Africa Cup of Nations, which starts on December 21st. According to his own statements, Slot sought the conversation and emphasized that he did not want Salah to leave. The player also gave conciliatory words after his last game before leaving on Saturday.
Liverpool’s Jones shows understanding for Salah
“I can only speak from my personal experience with Mo, how he dealt with us and how he behaved,” explained colleague Jones. “He was all positive. He was just the same Mo, had a big smile on his face, and everyone was just as friendly to him as ever. I think that’s just part of the will to win, and I don’t think he’ll be last.”
Jones added: “I understand there are different ways to deal with things like this, but if a player is content to just sit on the bench and not play and not want to help the team, then I think that’s a bigger problem. If we were ever angry, myself included, it was always well-intentioned. In the heat of the moment it may not have come across right, but it was never about putting a strain on the team, the coaching staff, the coach or anyone. We’re over that calm, we harmonize well as a team, play well and are starting to win games.”
Liverpool had a few disastrous weeks from September to November, with six defeats in seven league games. In the last four championship games, Slot’s team picked up a bit and at least got eight points. With Salah providing an assist, LFC recently won 2-0 against Brighton. Without Salah there is now an away game at Tottenham.
“I’ve talked to guys from other teams and seen how different our team is compared to theirs. There’s a family bond here, and families may argue and bicker, but they always stick together,” Jones said. “That little slip-up showed that family is the most important thing. And of course the thing with the fans and Mo didn’t affect us in any way. It gave us a mental boost to have to win, but nobody blamed anyone and I think that’s the most important thing.”