Mamadou Sakho has chosen to remain tight-lipped about the circumstances that led to Jurgen Klopp's decision to sideline him at Liverpool - but he insists there are no hard feelings towards his former manager.
The former French international was signed by Brendan Rodgers in 2013 for £18million and played a key role in Liverpool's unexpected title challenge that saw them finish runners-up to Manchester City.
Despite being plagued by injuries that often kept him out of the starting line-up, Sakho remained a valuable asset to the squad when fit. The 35-year-old put in several standout performances under Klopp, who took over from Rodgers in October 2015.
Sakho had just signed a new long-term contract a month before Klopp's arrival, and his future at Liverpool seemed secure until the summer of the following year. During Liverpool's pre-season tour of the United States, Sakho was abruptly sent home by Klopp.
It later emerged that Klopp's drastic decision was due to Sakho being late for the team's flight, a team meal, and a treatment session as he was recovering from an injury. The former PSG captain was relegated to train with the Under-23s and never played for Liverpool again.
Sakho reflected on his career transition, detailing the half-year he spent in the Professional Development League before making a deadline day loan switch to Crystal Palace in January 2017. He later signed for the south London club for a £26m fee that summer and spent four years at Selhurst Park before leaving in 2021 to join Montpellier in his native France.
Nearly a decade after his contentious departure from one of England's top clubs, he's given an honest assessment about his stint under Klopp, reports the Mirror. "Good relationship because I'm not a negative man," Sakho shared in a conversation with the Echo.
Mamadou Sakho embracing Jurgen Klopp
Mamadou Sakho refused to discuss the details behind his Liverpool exit (Image: Clive Rose/Getty Images)
"I always respect. I like his type of football. But football is football. So a few moments, you need to make some decisions and that's it. It's football. And I think you can see many examples. Sometimes the fans, they don't understand why this player leaves when this player is here.
"Also, sometimes you have some players where they ask, 'Why are they here?' But as I said, it's football. It's not my point. It's just football. Sometimes few things happen inside. I cannot talk about it, but it's like this. It's football.
"Small things are always good to take as an excuse. But the reality wasn't this. But it's fine, you know? But seriously, because a player is late to eat, the time's 7.15 and he comes at 7.18, now he leaves the club? Come on. What I wrote (on Snapchat) was the truth. But the truth always takes the stairs and the lie takes the elevator.
"You have football that people see, and you have few things inside but they cannot talk about it. So I always keep it for me as a man and that's it. I never talk and I would not speak for the moment because it's not important. I really enjoy my time in Liverpool.
Mamadou Sakho in action for Crystal Palace
The Frenchman signed for Crystal Palace for £24million after his loan spell (Image: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
"Yeah, it was a really great moment for me in my career. And that's it. I told you, I'm a positive man. So I don't like to speak about the inside of football, you know? I will speak about it one day, of course. Of course, one day I will speak.
"But not now, it is not the right moment. When I do my documentary of my career and of my life, all the truth will go out in that moment, just for fun." Sakho, who now plays for Torpedo Kutaisi in Georgia, has also ventured into the property market, launching a firm in Dubai that specialises in luxury homes in the Middle East.