After switching from Italian team Roma to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the summer of 2017, Egyptian international Mohamed Salah has spoken about one of his Champions League regrets.
At the Champions League final, Mohamed Salah acknowledged he was “angry” at himself for changing his mind before taking a penalty.
Salah’s second-minute penalty kick goal against Tottenham in the 2019 finals was not his best performance. The final match was jam-packed with entertainment. When having that conversation, Liverpool’s whole Champions League campaign was exceptional that year. However, the Egyptian barely defeated Hugo Lloris despite forgoing his first plan to take a penalty shot, which he does not advise.
Mohamed Salah confesses in “When Stevie met Salah”
Salah scored despite the minor error, and Liverpool went on to win their sixth Champions League title. Divock Origi scored a late goal to put a stop to Tottenham’s attempt at a comeback and give Jurgen Klopp’s team the greatest honor in European club football.
During an appearance on the Liverpool-produced television show “When Stevie Met Salah,” the Egyptian made his startling statement. The attacker was conversing with Steven Gerrard, the former Liverpool captain who was fired as the manager of Aston Villa in October of last year.
Salah has participated in three Champions League finals with Liverpool; the other two matches were lost to the Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid in 2018 and 2022.
Salah:
“I was practicing the whole week in the other side and in the last second as I was running to the ball, I changed my mind because I scored too many goals there… I was so mad because I don’t have to do it [change my mind] in a big game like that!”
What Stevie told the Egyptian King
With Liverpool, Gerrard won the Champions League in 2005. As a commentator for BT Sport, he frequently covers important European matches. Nonetheless, the former Reds captain was a spectator during the 2019 Champions League final and shared Kenny Dalglish’s shock at Salah’s penalty goal.
Stevie:
“That was a special goal for me as well because I was at the game as a fan, I wasn’t doing the TV. I just went as a fan to enjoy it, the club invited me, and that goal made Kenny Dalglish cry. So always remember that you made the King cry – the King [Salah] made the King – [Dalglish] cry!”
Yet this season, Liverpool are more likely to shed sad tears than happy ones in Europe. Real Madrid destroyed the Reds 5-2 in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League match at Anfield, and the second leg is scheduled for Wednesday night.
Liverpool’s final chance to win a significant prize this year is the Champions League. The Reds, who now sit fifth in the Premier League standings and are 21 points behind league leaders Arsenal and were unable to successfully defend their FA Cup and Carabao Cup titles.
