Mohamed Salah’s explosive comments after Liverpool’s 3-3 draw at Leeds – where he was benched for a third straight game – have triggered a stark divide between British and Egyptian media. In the UK, pundits like Jamie Carragher branded the forward selfish and disrespectful, but in his homeland, the overwhelming consensus is that Salah was justified in speaking out.
“Egyptian media was always going to stand by Salah,” said Adam Moustafa, Egyptian journalist and co-founder of KingFut. “He’s a unique status that we’ve never had. He’s the golden child of Egypt.” The interview dominated public discourse far beyond sports, with political commentators and even foodie TikTokers weighing in. Ahmed Fahmy, president of a Liverpool fan club in Egypt, noted: “A crisis involving Salah is a crisis for the nation.”
While British outlets accused Salah of breaking the dressing-room code, Egyptian analysts pointed fingers elsewhere. Football website FilGoal labelled manager Arne Slot a “coward” and Salah an “opportunist,” while Kooora accused Slot of double standards for not dropping Virgil van Dijk despite errors. Television pundits speculated that Salah’s reference to “someone” not wanting him at the club targeted Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes or FSG’s Michael Edwards.
Carragher’s criticism drew sharp rebukes from Egyptian football figures. Former Egypt forward Mido – who played for Spurs and Middlesbrough – accused Carragher of “exploiting any situation to be in the spotlight” and claimed he “would not be able to say those comments about an English player.” Fahmy countered Carragher’s claim that Liverpool saved Salah’s career, pointing out he was one of Serie A’s best players before joining, and that Jürgen Klopp would not have tolerated a player who “threw his right-back under the bus” for seven seasons.
Former Egypt stars Hazem Emam and Mohamed Aboutrika also joined Mido in defending Salah, reinforcing the national narrative that his character and past form grant him the right to air grievances. The episode underscores Salah’s iconic status, with Egyptian football culture traditionally revering its stars over managers and clubs.
