The British newspaper *The Guardian* reported that the Liverpool manager refused to disclose the reasons behind or the timing of Salah’s decision to leave the club during his first media appearance on Friday since the Egyptian international announced his departure. Slott believes the matter should be left to Salah himself to explain why he is leaving 12 months before the end of his contract.
Slott was asked whether he was viewed in some quarters as the “villain” responsible for Salah’s departure, particularly following the player’s public criticism in December after the Leeds match, to which he replied: “But that’s the general impression at the moment, isn’t it?”, referring to his image among some Liverpool fans following this season’s disappointments.
Nevertheless, Slott emphasised that he would not have handled the situation any differently with the club legend, explaining: “Yes, I’m satisfied with the way I handled it. When I look back at this season, I think I made some decisions that could have been better, but I’m not talking specifically about my handling of this matter with Salah. I don’t regret much of what I did during our year and a half together, or even a little longer.”