Mo Salah‘s friend and former Liverpool teammate, Dejan Lovren, has branded Jamie Carragher‘s criticism of Salah as “disgusting.”
Lovren and Salah shared the pitch 66 times for Liverpool over their three years at the club together, during which time they formed a friendship that still exists today.
As you would expect, Lovren backed Salah this season when he publicly disagreed with Arne Slot, and the former defender has slammed Liverpool legend Carragher for his criticism of the Egyptian.
Lovren, now 36-years old and playing Greek club PAOK, didn’t hold back in his interview with WinWin.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Monday, September 16, 2019: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Dejan Lovren during a training session at Melwood Training Ground ahead of the UEFA Champions League Group E match between SSC Napoli and Liverpool FC. (Pic by Laura Malkin/Propaganda)
“It’s not harsh, it’s disgusting,” the Croatian said when asked if Carragher had been harsh on Salah.
“Why didn’t they talk about him like this for the past eight or nine years? Tell me.
“OK, one season and then he’s the target again. There are so many other issues. First and foremost, there are some legends who know Mohamed Salah and there are some people who don’t, and some people who know him personally who speak really kindly about him even when he’s having a bad season.
“I mean, he’s being really heavily criticised. Some pundits do it just to attract attention, maybe because they haven’t succeeded in other areas of their lives, so now they need to perform well.”
That is definitely a pointed dig at Carragher, though it is a strange point given the Liverpudlian certainly did succeed at Anfield, playing 737 times and winning seven major trophies.
“I’ve always said, sometimes whoever’s the captain of the ship has to take responsibility too, but like I said, sometimes people put Mo in the spotlight,” Lovren added.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Tuesday, April 14, 2026: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah during the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final 2nd Leg match between Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain FC at Anfield. PSG won 2-0 on the night, 4-0 on aggregate. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“Carragher, he says whatever he wants. I always said he should tell him this to his face, say all these things to Mo to his face. He’ll never say that because I know he never will, because he never said it to me.
“He’s talked badly about me too, but he never said that to me anyway.
“You know, he’s just performing on TV and he gets paid for it so he needs to perform this way, but whatever, it just hurts me because I know deep down who Mo is.
“Because he’s a really good guy inside with a good mind and a good heart. I honestly don’t understand. He deserves so much better.”
What did Jamie Carragher say about Mo Salah?
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, June 21, 2019: Former Liverpool player Jamie Carragher working for Sky Sports before the FA Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool FC, the 236th Merseyside Derby, at Goodison Park. The game was played behind closed doors due to the UK government’s social distancing laws during the Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
In his role as a pundit, Carragher has been asked for his thoughts on Salah’s multiple public statements this season.
After the No. 11’s post-Leeds mixed zone interview, in which he said he had ‘no relationship’ with Slot, Carragher described Salah’s actions as a “disgrace.”
The pundit said: “Some people have painted it as an emotional outburst – I don’t think it was. I think whenever Mo Salah stops in a mixed zone, which he has done four times in eight years at Liverpool, it’s choreographed with his agent to cause maximum damage and strengthen his own position.
“He’s chosen this weekend to do this now, and he’s waited I think for a bad result.
“Everyone involved with the club [feeling] like they’re in the gutter, and he’s chosen that time to go for the manager and maybe try to get him sacked.”
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 24, 2026: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah is greeted by head coach Arne Slot (R) as he is substituted off during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
At the time, many Liverpool fans didn’t know how to feel about the situation. The general view was that Salah had a right to speak, but that it wasn’t a good look for this to be aired in public.
Salah again publicly criticised the coach in May, saying that Liverpool need to “go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear.”
Carragher responded: “There’s a lot of talk about he doesn’t like the standards of the club, using a couple of Klopp quotes which we know will pull on the heartstrings of supporters, but Liverpool couldn’t play heavy metal football right now and one of the reasons why is because of Mo Salah.
“And when I say no matter who the manager was, this would happen. He tried a little bit to take on Jurgen Klopp at the end at West Ham. He kicked off because he was substitute.
“That’s where all the problems come from, because he’s been sub.”
The reality of the situation is that Salah has probably been correct in what he has been saying, the proof being that Liverpool did decide to sack Slot, but many feel that he didn’t go about it in the right way.