I am not jealous of Mohamed Salah despite what people say – and Liverpool decision proves my point

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Mido has slammed Mohamed Salah in a scathing attack of the Liverpool forward’s leadership skills.

Salah is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury suffered at the Africa Cup of Nations that would have ultimately ruled him out for the rest of the tournament. But having returned to Merseyside for treatment after the group-stages, the 31-year-old has continued to be on the receiving end of widespread criticism in his homeland.

This prompted both Salah and his agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, to bite back at the Egyptian’s critics on social media. Yet that hasn’t stopped the outcry, with a number of Egypt legends, including Hossam Hassan (who has since been appointed Pharaohs manager), verbally attacking him as a result.

Now Mido has become the latest Egyptian to hit out at the Liverpool star. Insisting he is not jealous of his compatriot, he pointed out that Jurgen Klopp has not handed the forward the Reds armband when suggesting that Salah is struggling to handle the pressure and should be stripped of the Egypt captaincy.

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“Is Messi as a leader for Argentina like Salah as a leader for Egypt?” Mido said on The Untold podcast. “Salah is Egypt’s star, but does what he does with the national team resemble what Messi does with Argentina?

“Does Salah do what Ronaldo does with Portugal? Directing players in penalty kicks, saying who will take the shot and who will follow, and imposing his personality on everyone.

“Salah has evolved mentally, but he has never been a leader on the pitch, the evidence for that is why he didn’t get the captain’s armband at Liverpool?”

“Ask yourself why Salah has never worn the captain’s armband for Liverpool? Don’t say it’s because he’s a foreign player, as this is not a factor in English football, and there is ample evidence.

“Salah was negatively affected by becoming the captain of Egypt. He would have had more freedom and less pressure if he remained without that armband.”

Mido continued: “Some may accuse me of jealousy towards Salah, but those are a group of sick people. I cannot imagine Ahmed Fathi, with his value and great history, giving up the captain’s armband for Salah. It’s like Hossam Hassan relinquishing his role as captain for Ahmed Hassan. It’s hard to believe.

“These are red lines and a change in traditions followed for years, and comparisons shouldn’t be made with the cases of Messi and Ronaldo because the situation is completely different. The duo have completely different personalities and mentalities from Salah.

“If Salah were the captain of Liverpool, he wouldn’t have delivered the same strong performance. He is one of those players who find it difficult to bear the burden of captaincy.

“Salah cannot wear the captain’s armband with Mohamed El-Shenawy and Ahmed Hegazi on the pitch. Hegazi, specifically, is the captain of Ittihad Jeddah, one of the oldest clubs in Saudi Arabia.”