Arne Slot (47), Liverpool manager, could not escape the controversy surrounding Mohamed Salah (33) despite a UEFA Champions League victory.
Liverpool, led by Slot, beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the sixth match of the 2025-2026 UEFA Champions League league phase at San Siro in Milan, Italy, on the 10th (Korean time).
Liverpool smiled with difficulty as Dominik Szoboszlai's penalty in the 43rd minute of the second half became the winning goal. It was a victory that wiped away the defeat against PSV Eindhoven. Liverpool rose to eighth place, and Slot found a bit of breathing room amid intense pressure.
But Slot had to devote more interview time to the conflict with Salah than to the match victory. Salah recently expressed dissatisfaction with the club and manager, saying he had been "thrown under the bus" by the club. Slot responded by leaving Salah out of the squad for the match.
According to Britain's Sky Sports, Slot said after the match on the U.S. Amazon Prime, "Of course a lot is being said, and these things always have some effect on the team."
Slot said, "Anyone who has been in the dressing room would know this is a matter between the player and the manager or the club," but added, "these things also affect the players. Especially because he is a very good and influential player," explaining the conflict with Salah.
He also emphasized, "It is never good to see this happen to one of your teammates," and said, "Tonight we must focus on the match. I fully understand that at the next press conference everyone will ask questions about Salah, but I believe the players who played today deserve to be in the spotlight."
At the same time, Slot returned to answering about Salah, saying about how to resolve the conflict, "Everyone makes mistakes. So the first question to ask is, 'Does the player himself acknowledge that he made a mistake?'"
He continued, "The next question is, 'Am I the one who should step forward first, or is it the player?' That is another question that needs answering," and stressed, "But as I said earlier, today's focus should be on the players who fans chant for, like Virgil van Dijk."
Slot effectively sent a strong message to Salah, who made explosive remarks about him and the club, urging him to "first admit the mistake and apologize." Otherwise, Salah is likely to be sidelined under Slot's management.
Captain Virgil van Dijk drew a line, saying, "It is true that something is happening between Salah and the club. As a result, he cannot be with us today. But our focus and will do not change."
However, he made clear distance from demands for an apology, saying, "I am not the one to say whether someone should apologize. Recently he has shown emotion, and that is a matter the club must handle."
Meanwhile, Salah is scheduled to join the Egypt national team this week to prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations, and Liverpool will have to proceed with schedules without Salah for the time being. While the conflict is expected to subside on the surface for now, whether the relationship will be restored after his return is likely to become a new issue.
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