By: Kwame Bediako
Former Liverpool star Sadio Mané has shed light on his relationship with Mohamed Salah during their time at Anfield in an interview with Rio Ferdinand on his podcast.
The 33 year old emphasised that their bond was much stronger than the rivalry many fans perceived. Mane said, “Great player, good player, great player,” when speaking about Salah, and added, “I’m someone who is quiet, but I’m friendly with everybody in the team. Mo is also a very nice guy,” highlighting the mutual respect they shared behind the scenes.
Mane admitted that there were moments of tension during matches, particularly when passes didn’t come his way. Recalling a game against Burnley, he revealed, “I was really, really angry after the game,” because Salah chose to shoot rather than pass to him.
Despite his frustration, Mane shared that Salah approached him the following day to clear the air, saying, “‘You think I didn’t want to pass you? I just got the ball, I want to shoot. I have nothing against you,’” which helped strengthen their relationship.
He explained that Salah’s instinct to score often takes precedence, stating, “As a striker, sometimes when Mo sees the ball, he doesn’t see anyone else. It’s not personal; he just wants to score.”
Mane also expressed his support for Salah’s goal-scoring ambitions, revealing, “I tried to support Salah’s goal-scoring ambitions, offering to help him achieve top scorer status whenever possible.”
Mane left Liverpool in 2022 to join Bayern Munich before transferring to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, Salah remains a key figure at Liverpool, playing an important role in their Premier League title victory last season.
Despite their different paths, Mane emphasized that their relationship was built on mutual respect and camaraderie.
