There were conflicts between Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah while they were teammates at Liverpool, according to former attacker Roberto Firmino.
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Tensions between Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, and Roberto Firmino during the three players’ Liverpool tenure have been made public
Firmino, who left Liverpool last summer following an eight-year trophy-studded stint at Anfield, claimed to have been the “firefighter” in one of Europe’s most devastating attacking partnerships, which was most famously displayed when Mane lost it on the bench against Burnley in 2019 after Salah failed to pass him the ball for a simple tap-in.
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In his memoir, “Sí Señor: My Liverpool Years,” Firmino writes, “I knew those guys very well, maybe better than anyone.” “Right in the middle of them, on the field, was me. I witnessed directly the expressions, grimaces, body language, and discontent when one was upset with the other. I was aware of it. In those instances, while we were attacking, I served as the intermediary between the firefighter and them.
“That argument between Sadio and Mo [against Burnley in August 2019] was, for many, the first; for others, it was the last. However, I was aware that it had been simmering since the 2018–19 season. It was my responsibility and instinct to diffuse the tension between them. Never douse a fire with water patrol.
Mane moved from Liverpool to Bayern Munich in 2022, but he returned a year later to play for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. Firmino relocated to Saudi Arabia as well and became a free agent at Al Ahli.
Despite Liverpool turning down a £150 million ($190 million) offer from Al Ittihad last summer, Salah is still with the team and has scored 10 goals in 15 appearances across all competitions this season.
Firmino went on, “Each kept to himself, so they were never the best of friends. The two of them rarely spoke, and I’m not sure if that was because of their rivalry in African contests between Egypt and Senegal. I really have no idea. However, they also never cut off communication or ties. They consistently behaved in the most professional manner.
I avoided taking sides. They adore me since I constantly passed the ball to them both, preferring the team’s success. Many people concentrate on the tactical advantages I offered the assaulting three, but my position as a mediator and unifier was also possibly just as significant on a human level. There would be nothing but storms between the two of them on the field if I didn’t do that.
Perhaps this is the reason Klopp most frequently used me as a substitute. The Boss understood that I wouldn’t do something like toss a bottle to the ground or anything like that because the three of us had such diverse personalities. I’d have a private conversation with him later if I was bothered. It was simpler to remove Bobby when a replacement was required than to annoy the other two.
“Everyone understood that was how it operated, even the other players. It was the worst-kept secret in Liverpool, of course, because nobody ever inquired about my feelings or thoughts. It’s in my nature to put the team first. Boss was aware of it.”
