Dubai: As Mohammad Salah revived his months-long image-rights dispute with the Egyptian FA, accusing them of ignoring his complaints about their unauthorised use of his image, one man who will be secretly delighted will be Anfield boss Jurgen Klopp.
The dispute over image rights and lingering tensions over his treatment during the World Cup have led to rumours that Salah will quit the Egyptian national team.
“It’s normal that a football federation seeks to solve the problems of its players so they can feel comfortable. But in fact, what I see is exactly the opposite,” the Liverpool winger tweeted on Sunday.
“It is not normal that my messages and my lawyer’s messages are ignored. I do not know why all this (is happening)? Do you not have time to respond to us?!”
Ramy Abbas, Salah’s agent, said he and his client have asked for guarantees regarding the 26-year-old’s “well-being” while on the national team and assurances that his image rights won’t be violated again. “Enough is enough,” Abbas tweeted.
Should Salah walk away from the national side, it would be regarded as a national tragedy as he is by far the best player they have produced in decades — if not ever — and is a national hero in and around Cairo.
But such a move would delight the powers that be at Anfield as it would take their prize asset out of the equation when it comes to risking injury while on Egypt duty and also help keep him fresh and fit as Liverpool go in hunt of a maiden Premier League title and a first English top-flight trophy since 1990.
Salah must be the first name on Klopp’s teamsheet every week, and with the added temptation of going one step further in Europe this campaign and claim the Champions League trophy, Salah sitting out of international games would be massive for the Reds. The time off will ease the stress on his body — he was injured last season in the Champions League final — and allow Klopp to field him in domestic and European games knowing he will have recuperation time whenever there is an international break.
Small decisions such as this are what can change Liverpool’s season from another good one into one of the best in their history.
