The power struggle at Liverpool FC has a clear winner: coach Arne Slot. Star player Mo Salah, on the other hand, is threatened with an undignified farewell.
“Arne Slot”Chants resounded through the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan late on Tuesday evening (December 10, 2025). Liverpool’s away traveling squad, the hard core of the “Reds” fans, celebrated the Dutch coach. Slot had just won a Champions League game with his team (1-0 against Inter Milan), but above all had successfully parried a violent attack from his most prominent player with confidence and sportiness.
Slot didn’t want to heat up the topic any further: “In my opinion, tonight should be all about the players who are here. They deserve all the praise.” English media spoke of a big victory for the Dutchman, who is currently often criticized. “Liverpool played tonight like a team that fully supported their coach,” wrote for example “Daily Mail”.
Salah about Slot: “No relationship at all anymore”
Club legend Salah had previously publicly sent the message: either the coach or me. He has “no relationship at all anymore” to slot, feel like a scapegoat: “It feels like the club has thrown me under the bus. I don’t accept this situation. I have done so much for the club.”
Salah said these words at the weekend after the 3-3 draw against Leeds United, where he was not in the starting line-up for the third time in a row and was on the bench until the end for the second time. In response to the comments, Slot Salah was left out of the squad for the game in Milan.
Goal scorer with jamming
Liverpool is going through a difficult season, Slot repeatedly puts celebrities on the bench, for example his very expensive additions Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak. Wirtz only came into the game in Milan after 68 minutes, then had noticeable scenes and took the decisive penalty shortly before the end. Dominik Szoboszlai scored the winning goal (88th).
Salah is part of the sporting crisis with his poor performances. He played almost all of the first twelve Premier League matchdays, but only managed four goals and two assists. For comparison: In the championship season last year he contributed 29 goals and 18 assists.
Mohamed Salah on the bench
The Egyptian has been playing at Anfield for eight and a half years and has become a club legend – similar to Steven Gerrard. The fans praise him as that “Egyptian King” and many are still supporting him in the current conflict. The Arne Slot chants in Milan were all the more remarkable.
Teammates express caution
Salah seems to be losing the power struggle, as the statements of some teammates after the victory in Milan indicate. “We’re talking about one of the club’s greatest players. But what happened, happened. We’re all together internally,” said left-back Andy Robertson.
Many players are close friends with Salah, including Szoboszlai: “It’s his own decision what he does with his life and his career. I like him a lot. I like him as a person, as a friend and as a player. He has done so much for this club. It will be the club’s decision and his decision.”
Captain van Dijk: No impact on the team
A lot of appreciation, but no public support for Salah in the dispute with Slot – Virgil van Dijk also expressed himself in this direction. When asked about the impact of Salah’s criticism on the team, the captain said: “I didn’t feel any difference in terms of the team, the players. Of course we all know what’s going on, but I think it’s more the outside world that obviously turns this into something bigger.”
He wants “naturally”, On Salah continuing to play for Liverpool, van Dijk said: “The reality is that he goes away at the weekend and then hopefully has a fantastic African Cup of Nations. But I have no idea what will happen in the meantime.”
Salah’s last appearance at Anfield?
Salah could experience a game at Anfield Road for the last time as an employee of Liverpool FC on Saturday; the “Reds” will welcome Brighton & Hove Albion for a Premier League duel at 4 p.m. (summary from 6 p.m. in the sports show on Erste). Even if he won’t play, he wants to be there,”to say goodbye to the fans”Salah had said at the weekend: “I don’t know what will happen after that.”
In April, Salah extended his stay in Liverpool until 2027, and now the 33-year-old could present himself for a winter change at the Africa Cup of Nations (December 21st to January 18th).
Or is there still a chance for reconciliation? Slot then briefly commented on Salah on Tuesday evening: “Everyone makes mistakes in life, but does the player know that he has made a mistake? Should the initiative come from him or from me? That is a different question.”