I had a frosty relationship with Mane at Liverpool – Salah

Mohamed Salah has admitted a mutual desire to be Liverpool’s star goalscorer proved to be a source of tension in his relationship with former teammate Sadio Mane.

Alongside Roberto Firmino, Salah and Mane formed a devastating attacking trio which came to define Jurgen Klopp’s time at Anfield.

The two wingers racked up incredible numbers of goals but often faced accusations of being selfish when it came to helping the other score.

Salah and Mane shared the Premier League’s Golden Boot award with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2018/19 after racking up 22 goals, with both Liverpool stars desperate to score goals and be the star of the team, and Salah confessed this often led to some uncomfortable interactions with Mane.

Despite their tense relationship, the duo formed part of a formidable front three alongside Roberto Firmino under Jürgen Klopp.

The trio won numerous titles and scored a combined 338 goals between 2017/18 and 2022/23. Their on-pitch chemistry was undeniable, with Salah and Mané seventh on Liverpool’s all-time list of goal-scoring combinations, having assisted each other 30 times.

“Yes, there was tension with Sadio,” he told France Football. “Mind you, 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 has previously admitted he may have been “selfish” towards Mane at times but insisted the statistics – his 18 assists for Mane in particular – prove he was always willing to make the right decision with Liverpool in mind.

“People can think what they want, it’s their right,” he said. “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.”

Diaspora Digital Media recalls that in 2023, Roberto Firmino, the duo’s former teammate shed light on the issue, saying the Africans were never friends.

“They were never best friends; each kept himself to himself.

“It was rare to see the two of them talking and I’m not sure if that had to do with the Egypt–Senegal rivalry in African competitions.

“I truly don’t know. But they also never stopped talking, never severed ties. They always acted with the utmost professionalism.

“Salah and Mane had had their little problems before, but that time [against Burnley] everything happened on the field, there for the world to see,” said the Brazilian, now plying his trade in Saudi Arabian side, Al Ahly.

Sadio Mane has since moved on, leaving the club in the summer of 2022 to join Bayern Munich, a move that didn’t work out, before joining Saudi club, Al Nassr, where he plays alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

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