Klopp opens up on managing Salah as Liverpool turmoil deepens

December 11, 2025 Oliver Obel

Liverpool returned from Milan with three Champions League points but plenty of lingering tension, as Mohamed Salah’s omission from Arne Slot’s squad continued to dominate discussion around the club.

The decision came just days after Salah’s fiery comments at Elland Road remarks first published by the BBC which exposed the strain between the star forward and his new manager.

Fallout from Elland Road

Liverpool’s 1–0 win over Inter Milan, sealed by a late Dominik Szoboszlai penalty, should have been the story of the night. Instead, questions over Salah’s absence overshadowed the result.

In the BBC-reported interview after the Leeds match, Salah said he felt he had been “thrown under the bus” and claimed he had “no relationship” with Slot. The timing was jarring. Only months earlier, the Egyptian winger had claimed the Premier League Golden Boot as Liverpool powered to the title.

The interview, according to the BBC, prompted internal discussions and ultimately, Slot’s decision not to include him in Tuesday’s squad.

Klopp reflects on a defining relationship

Away from the immediate drama, former manager Jürgen Klopp has been reflecting on the player he coached for seven years. In comments carried by the BBC, Klopp described Salah’s relentless drive as something shaped long before Liverpool.

“We are all massively influenced by our past, how we were raised, where we grew up,” he said. Klopp added that Salah believed from an early age that he needed to “do more than others,” a mentality the German coach said became evident every preseason. “After each summer break he came back and had a new skill,” Klopp recalled.

Klopp said those shared standards forged a bond, pointing to Liverpool’s long-awaited 2020 Premier League triumph as a moment that connected them “for life.”

Navigating superstar dynamics

Still, Klopp acknowledged the realities of managing an elite forward. As he put it, Salah was “not easy, but not difficult” to handle problems only surfaced when he wasn’t playing or was substituted. It’s a dynamic familiar across top-level football, where high performers expect, and often demand, central roles.

For Slot, that expectation is now the backdrop to an already delicate situation. After the Inter win, he suggested Salah could return to the squad but made clear an apology would be a prerequisite. The club has not provided further comment.

A future in flux

Liverpool play Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, though it’s unclear whether Salah will feature. The uncertainty comes just as he prepares to join Egypt for the Africa Cup of Nations the continent’s premier international tournament which could keep him sidelined until mid-January, depending on Egypt’s progress.

Whether Salah’s next minutes come in a Liverpool shirt or elsewhere is becoming one of the most pressing questions around the club. For now, the situation remains fluid, and supporters are left waiting for clarity.

Sources: BBC