Egyptian Coach Criticizes Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp for Remarks on Mohamed Salah

Egypt’s Head Coach, Rui Vitoria, has taken a swipe at Liverpool’s manager, Jurgen Klopp, regarding the handling of Mohamed Salah’s recent injury. Following Salah’s early exit due to a suspected hamstring injury in Egypt’s AFCON clash with Ghana, Klopp confirmed the severity of the injury after Liverpool’s 4-0 victory against Bournemouth, stating that Salah would return to Merseyside for treatment.

Vitoria expressed his discontent with Klopp’s comments, stating, “We didn’t want to alarm anyone. I didn’t think it was right for Liverpool, via any intermediary, to speak about this, because we had a tremendously important game today. Salah has always been with us. Now this game is over, we will find the best solution for the treatment of the player. These are the facts. This is the situation.”

Taking the opportunity to provide further clarification, Vitoria emphasized the longer-term nature of Salah’s injury, which prompted the need to extend the recovery period. He defended the decision to keep information confidential before the game, citing the team’s medical team’s control over the situation and the necessity for Salah to have a conducive environment for a swift recovery.

While Salah faced criticism for leaving his national team during a crucial tournament, Liverpool’s assistant manager, Pep Lijnders, defended the decision, stating, “The one you should never doubt the commitment of is Mo Salah. I know the country is devastated to lose him. He is massive. The only reason ours and their medical team decided for him to come back is to give the best chance to make the final if Egypt reach it.”