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Mohamed Salah made it clear he wasn't happy playing under Arne Slot and now neither will be at Liverpool next season
Salah and Slot pictured
The relationship between Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot broke down midway through the season(Image: Getty)
A look back on the tension between Mohamed Salah and Arne Slot following the Dutchman's Liverpool sacking
The breaking point in rotation: The friction initially ignited in November when Slot heavily rotated his squad during a form slump, benching Salah for a fixture against West Ham and ending his streak of 53 consecutive Premier League starts. Salah was unhappy about remaining an unused substitute for the 2-0 victory.
"Thrown under the bus": Following December's 3-3 draw against Leeds, where Salah was benched for a third consecutive match, the forward stopped in the post-match mixed zone to vent his anger. He infamously claimed he was being "thrown under the bus" by Slot, suggesting he was unfairly being made the scapegoat for the team's struggles.
Internal disciplinary exile: Slot reacted to the public outburst by omitting Salah from the travelling party for a Champions League clash against Inter Milan. The manager and the board felt that a public takedown of the coaching staff crossed a line, though they later attempted to patch things up in a clear-the-air meeting.
Social media jibe: Although a temporary truce was called, the feud erupted again in May following the 4-2 defeat to Aston Villa when Salah posted an explosive statement calling for a return to Jurgen Klopp's "heavy metal" football. Salah claimed this was the identity the club needed to recover, which was widely seen as a direct, public rejection of Slot's more controlled, patient style of play.
Fractured dressing room: The situation escalated from an isolated feud to an organisational crisis when a vast majority of the first-team squad, including record-signing Florian Wirtz, publicly 'liked' Salah's anti-Slot social media post. This show of player solidarity exposed a rift between the manager and the dressing room.
Farewell video: Salah released an emotional farewell video confirming he would leave Anfield upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the season. Despite previously signing an extension, the breakdown in his relationship with Slot convinced the Egyptian King that his nine-year spell on Merseyside had reached its end.
Club's reluctant farewell: In a statement confirming the Dutchman's dismissal, Liverpool praised Slot for the title triumph the previous year but acknowledged that a change was necessary. The board expressed gratitude for his past success, noting that the search for a manager who can restore the team's traditional identity is already underway.
Double vacuum: Liverpool now face a massive summer of transition as they look to replace both their manager and their greatest modern goalscorer. While Slot leaves with a slightly dented reputation, Salah departs as a free agent and a club legend, leaving the incoming regime with a big task.