Jurgen Klopp has downplayed Mohamed Salah’s furious reaction to being subbed off during Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea.
The Egyptian came off in the 77th minute of the game at Stamford Bridge, but kicked up quite fuss while doing so. Salah angrily ripped tape off of his hands and threw it to the ground, before slumping onto the bench.
People have since speculated that Salah’s frustration stemmed from the substitution meaning that he could not become the outright holder of the record for most goals in Premier League opening weekends – the forward current jointly holds the record with Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, manager Klopp was expectedly asked about the situation: “I can understand because if Mo scored it would have been a new record for goals scored in the opening game but I didn’t think about that.
“We needed stability and we needed fresh legs. It was super intense for everybody. That’s all I can say about it, his reaction was absolutely okay. When I sub a player and he is jumping in to my arms at 1-1 and he is a striker who thinks he will score, I would be really surprised so that’s absolutely fine.”
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During his post-match press conference, Klopp was once again asked about the incident and whether or not he has since discussed it with the forward:
“I didn’t have a conversation yet with him. Actually, I don’t think you ever saw Mo leaving the pitch happily – I can’t remember it [and] that’s ok, absolutely ok. Today, obviously, I didn’t think in that moment about it, I didn’t even know about it, that if he scored in the game it would’ve been an all-time record [on the opening day], so I understand his disappointment.
“But, I am the manager of the whole team and in that moment we needed fresh legs. I think that made real sense for us and it is never anything to do with Mo or whatever or against him, of course not. 99% of the things we achieved were because of him or with him. That he was not happy was clear, I understand that and there is no problem.”
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