In Summary
- He reveals there were tensions between teammates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane
- He reveals that each kept to himself
Former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino has revealed that there were tensions between teammates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane when they were at Liverpool.
In a new book “My Liverpool Years” the former Liverpool player who left last summer after playing there for eight years and winning many trophies said that he was often forced to step in and help sort out problems between Salah and Mane.
“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,” Firmino said.
The tension between Salah and Mane came to a head during a match in August 2019 at Turf Moor, where they clashed because Salah didn’t pass the ball to Mane for an easy goal.
READ ALSO:Osimhen, Salah,Mane others get 2023 African Player of the Year nomination
The Egypt-Senegal rivalry Angle
“I never took sides. That’s why they love me: I always passed the ball to both; my preference was for the team’s victory,”
“…Many focus on what I brought to the attacking trio in tactical terms, but perhaps just as important was the human element: my role as peacemaker, unifier. If I didn’t do that, it would be nothing but storms between the two of them on the field,”
“Maybe that’s why I was the one most often substituted by Klopp. The three of us had very different personalities and the Boss knew I wouldn’t throw a bottle to the ground or anything like that. If I was bothered, I’d talk to him privately afterwards. When a substitution was needed, it was easier to take Bobby off than to upset either of the other two,”
“Everyone, including the other players, knew that’s how it worked. It was the worst-kept secret in Liverpool – naturally, no one ever asked what I thought or how I felt. That’s just my nature; the team comes first. The Boss knew it.”
Mane left Liverpool in 2022 to play for Bayern Munich, but a year later, he joined Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr
READ ALSO:Al-Nassr Sign Sadio Mane on Four-Year Deal
Firmino also made a move, going to Saudi Arabia and joining Al Ahli as a free agent.
Meanwhile Salah is still part of Liverpool team.
