“Unbelievable”—Benched for a Third Straight Match, Mohamed Salah Blasts Arne Slot and Hints at Liverpool Exit
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has publicly voiced his frustration after being left out of the starting XI for the third consecutive match, saying he feels he has been “made the scapegoat” under manager Arne Slot. The comments were reported by The Guardian.
Salah remained on the bench for the entire 90 minutes in Liverpool’s 3–3 draw against Leeds on the 6th. After the match, he didn’t hide his shock:
“Unbelievable… I had to sit on the bench for the full 90 minutes.”
He continued:
“This is the third time now. I think it’s the first time in my career. I’m really, really disappointed. I’ve done so much for this club over the years—especially last season—and now I’m sitting on the bench. I don’t know why.”
■ Salah Suggests a Breakdown in His Relationship With Slot as Frustration Boils Over
Asked about his relationship with manager Arne Slot, Salah revealed that things have changed dramatically:
“I’ve said many times that the relationship was good, but suddenly it feels like it doesn’t exist at all.”
He hinted heavily at a possible departure:
“I was given so many promises, yet here I am benched for three games. You can’t say those promises were kept. I can’t accept this. I don’t understand why this is happening. At any other club, they would protect their player. Now it feels like, ‘Mo is the problem, sacrifice him.’ But I don’t think I’m the problem. I’ve given so much to this club.”
■ “Someone Doesn’t Want Me Here” — Is Salah Preparing for a Liverpool Exit?
Salah went even further, suggesting someone at Liverpool no longer wants him:
“For some reason, I feel like someone doesn’t want me here. I’ve always supported this club. My kids support this club. I love it and will keep supporting it.”
He also revealed he had already warned his mother before the Brighton match next week—possibly his final home game:
“I told my mother yesterday: ‘Come to the Brighton game. I don’t know if I’ll play, but let’s enjoy it.’
I don’t know what will happen next. I might say goodbye to the fans at Anfield and then leave for the Africa Cup of Nations. What happens while I’m away… nobody knows.”
■When Asked Whether the Brighton Match Could Be His Final Game…
When asked directly whether next Saturday’s Brighton match at Anfield could be his final appearance for Liverpool, Salah simply replied:
“You never know what can happen in football. But this situation is unacceptable. I’ve done so much for this club.”
■ “Do You Regret Signing the New Contract?” — Salah’s Response
Salah signed a new contract in April. Asked if he already regrets it, he answered:
“It’s painful, but I would never regret signing for this club. I thought I would finish my career here. But things haven’t gone according to plan. Five months ago, I was winning awards—how did it come to this? Not everyone in the team is playing badly, yet I’m the one who has to defend myself.”
His comments leave the strong impression that Salah’s future at Liverpool is now more uncertain than ever.
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“Social Media Reactions”
Liverpool Fans
IronCliffRunner
Salah completely losing it… feels like this might be the start of a real revolt in the squad.
HarborNightPulse
What exactly did Salah say?
↳ FrostedMarlin87
Sounds like he’s publicly calling out the situation. He basically said he can’t accept what’s happening and doesn’t understand why things have turned this way.
SilverRidgeVoyager
If he heads off to AFCON like this, I wouldn’t be shocked if he doesn’t come back as a Liverpool player.
CobaltMesaPilot
At this point, with comments that blunt, it’s hard to imagine him wanting to stay.
CrimsonRidgeSignal
Salah saying he suddenly has “no relationship” with the manager… yeah, everyone kind of saw that coming lol.
HarborMothline
How can he say he has no idea why this is happening?
That level of obliviousness is wild.
↳ SilverTideAnchor
He’s not actually clueless.
“It’s the manager’s fault — you all see that, right? Which is why he should be replaced.”
That’s basically what he’s hinting at.
↳ NightfallVoyager33
Slot definitely deserves blame, but pretending he doesn’t notice his own drop in form is a bit much.
GraniteFieldRunner
It’s a mess. The team is struggling, results are awful, and yet he’s blowing up at the media because he isn’t starting—despite the numbers he’s put up this season.
Honestly, I don’t think any club would start Salah right now. He’s barely winning duels against anyone.
RustlineVoyager
There are players with even worse numbers who are still getting minutes, though.
HarborSlatePilot
Makes you wonder if that “promise” from the club was basically a guaranteed-playing-time clause.
He told Norwegian TV that Slot betrayed him and the club broke their word—and that the Brighton match might be his last.
CinderPeakEcho
Given his form this season, starting him would be a bigger issue for the club.
But yeah, going from 100 to 0 overnight is pretty drastic.
IronHollowTrace
If the club really sold Díaz just to bring in money, then they’re probably thinking the same about Salah—sell him while his value is still reasonably high given his age.
CrimsonValeRunner
He’ll probably end up like Gerrard in the end.
That kind of exit feels inevitable at this point.
HarborDustPilot
Once a manager loses the dressing room, it’s over.
He was too stubborn, and he already got more time than most would’ve given.
Time to cut clean.
FrostlineVoyager
Slot’s final act might be leaving together with Salah—both going out in one swing.
CrimsonVaultRider
Feels like Salah is leaving in January.
Telling his parents to come to the Brighton game because “it might be goodbye” says a lot.
He basically hinted he’ll say farewell at Anfield before heading to AFCON—and who knows what happens after that.
HarborStonePilot
He might already be lining things up with Saudi clubs.
IronMesaShadow
Szoboszlai hinting something happened in the locker room,
Salah openly calling out the club and manager…
Feels like they’re clearing the runway for a managerial change.
FrostRiverTalon
Salah’s basically telling the club: “Pick him or pick me.”
The relationship is beyond repair at this point.
And Slot isn’t even winning without him—only managed to beat a relegation-zone West Ham.
NightfallCinderLine
It’s sad to imagine a club legend leaving without a proper send-off.
A messy breakup would be the worst scenario.
↳ EvergreenQuartzFox
Yeah, that can’t happen.
New manager, rebuild the relationship, and then give him a proper farewell—that’s the right way.
SilverHarborRoamer
Moments like this really show how well Klopp handled Salah.
He left at the perfect time.
Even in Klopp’s final season, Salah would blow up when subbed—yet Klopp still managed him.
HarborPeakRunner
Honestly, based on his recent form, the benching makes sense.
Defensively he doesn’t offer much, so keeping him out wasn’t shocking.
But he can hold up the ball under pressure, so in tough moments he still could’ve been useful.
IronValeSpecter
Slot had to know this would blow up the moment he benched Salah.
If he still went through with it, it shows just how desperate his situation is.
CinderRidgePulse
I feel like the KOP will side with Salah here.
Slot isn’t winning even when he benches him.
FrostlineMariner
Reports say the dressing room is split now, with several senior players no longer backing Slot.
Salah, Robertson, Alisson, Jones…
And you just know van Dijk is in that group too.
SilverHarborTalon
At this point it’s clear Salah became the scapegoat.
Hard to deny it anymore.
GraniteCrestPilot
Slot claims he brought Endo on because they were ahead, and would’ve used Salah if it stayed level.
I guess he’s doing what he thinks he can, but… it all feels off.
And Konaté starting makes sense given Gomez just came back and they have no right-back.
Only thing I’d change is trying Chiesa over Gakpo at some point.
NightfallMesaRunner
The squad hasn’t refreshed in years.
Maybe the cleanest solution is to move on from both Slot and Salah and start a new cycle.
HarborGhostline
I don’t even care about who gets minutes.
If he benched Salah and the team played well and won, people would support it.
The problem is the football is terrible and the results are bad—of course people are calling for him to go.
CopperHawkVoyager
Hard to believe they were celebrating a title just half a year ago—now everything’s falling apart.
And after these comments, it feels like Salah leaving is almost unavoidable.
SlateHarborPilot
Reading Salah’s comments, it really feels like the squad is falling apart from the inside.
CrimsonFoxNavigator
Salah may be oversharing, but Slot’s man-management has been awful too.
His press conferences are a mess, and if you’re going to drop a player, you at least explain why to him.
Handling it this poorly is unbelievable.
IronTideRanger
Gakpo and Kerkez have been rough to watch.
Everyone keeps pointing fingers at the right side—no wonder Salah’s fed up.
NightfallHawkRider
So Salah, van Dijk, Alisson, Robertson, and Jones are all in the “fire Slot” camp?
Wouldn’t be surprised if Frimpong’s already on board too.
↳ HarborCrestVoyager
Salah aside, the other four have actually been doing their jobs this season.
Honestly, the only players who seem pro-Slot are Gakpo—who keeps his spot no matter what—and Kerkez, who somehow gets picked first.
↳ CopperMesaSignal
Not sure about van Dijk being solid.
He looks reliable because he plays every game, but that’s only because they have no one else.
↳ FrostlineValeRunner
True, he’s nowhere near his peak and he still has those random disasters in him.
But he does win most physical battles.
The real issue is the structure—this team acts like they still have prime van Dijk cleaning everything up.
SilverHarborTrail
Why didn’t they just sell Salah?
The front office clearly wanted to move him.
CobaltHarborRise
Hard to believe—Salah was last season’s top scorer, Slot was the title-winning manager… and now it’s completely fallen apart between them.
IronMesaDrift
Are Salah’s comments actually official?
Not just leaks?
↳ SilverCrestVoyager
It’s straight from a recorded interview.
Clear footage, direct quotes—nothing leaked about it.
↳ NightfallStonePulse
Salah’s outburst is real, but the supposed reactions from van Dijk and the others are still just speculation.
Honestly, I hope those parts aren’t true—if they are, it would say a lot about where the squad is mentally.
HarborFrostRunner
Even without Salah, conceding three to a bottom-table Leeds side is brutal.
The defensive issues are way deeper.
↳ CopperRidgeFalcon
Konaté has been awful, and van Dijk’s decline is pretty obvious too.
They need a full reset at centre-back.
SlateWindNavigator
Didn’t expect Salah to publicly go after the manager like this.
Feels like the Brighton match will be his last.
If Slot goes afterward and Gerrard comes in as interim… things might move fast.
CrimsonValeStrider
A player doesn’t fall off a cliff right after being MVP.
Slot’s handling is the problem—
and honestly, the front office buying Wirtz forced them into a system change that broke the balance.
EvergreenHawkSignal
Big club legends should leave before they decline and end up benched.
Cristiano left Madrid while still elite—that was the perfect exit.
Liverpool misread Salah’s timing, and now it’s turning into an ugly breakup.
FrostlineHarborEcho
They changed a system that was dominating and shoved Wirtz into it, and the whole flow collapsed.
Salah declined a bit, sure, but the real issue is the structural change that took away his effectiveness.
CinderHarborEcho
Honestly, Salah might’ve been better off keeping quiet.
Slot was probably headed for the sack anyway, but speaking out like this just complicates things.
Now the front office won’t want it to look like they chose Salah over the manager.
↳ IronValeRunner
If Salah’s openly criticizing Slot, it probably means Slot’s already done.
At that point, saying it out loud doesn’t change much.
HarborTideFalcon
Whether Salah plays or not, they can’t win—so the club wanting to cash in makes perfect sense.
If he gets injured, they lose everything.
NightfallCrestPilot
I liked the idea of Salah leaving like Messi—club chaos pushes him out, then maybe returning years later.
Instead, he’s going out like Ronaldo—criticizing the front office on the way out.
Makes you appreciate how much patience Mané and Firmino had with him.
SlateGhostStrider
Firmino actually spilled plenty after he left.
He said he was always the one subbed because he caused the least trouble.
IronMesaNavigator
Funny thing is, without Salah they scored three against a Premier League club for the first time this season.
The next manager has a huge job—finish top four and close Salah’s chapter gracefully.
CopperHarborPulse
If Slot is gone, Edwards probably sees Salah as a problem too.
Talking openly about contract details is a huge red flag for the front office.
FrostlineRidgeSpecter
If Salah had stayed in the lineup and Slot still got fired, the next manager would’ve inherited pure chaos.
Slot taking the heat on his way out might’ve actually saved them.
His decisions were awful this season, but thanks for the title last year, I guess.
HarborNightVoyager
Salah’s always had a bit of Ronaldo in him—gets grumpy when subbed.
So yeah, this ending was predictable if things went south.
Still sad to see the star of a decade-long golden era leave like this.
SilverCrestPilot
Salah: “Let me give an example—it may sound silly, sorry.
Remember when Harry Kane went ten matches without scoring?
The media kept saying, ‘He’ll start scoring soon.’
But with me, they were saying, ‘Bench him.’
Sorry, Harry!”
EvergreenGhostLine
Mohamed Salah: “Given everything I’ve done for the club, it really hurts—you can imagine.
I know this club well; I’ve been here for years.
Carragher will probably lay into me tomorrow, but that’s fine.”
(Interview with Viaplay Fotboll)
HarborCrestEcho
I get why Salah feels the way he does.
Gakpo’s been just as bad, yet he keeps getting minutes—anyone would start wondering if they’re being made the scapegoat.
But even if he’s right, saying it out loud rarely ends well.
Even outspoken players usually avoid this kind of comment.
IronMesaPilot
Makes you wonder if Slot ever actually talked things through with Salah.
Judging from everything, probably not.
Klopp definitely would’ve had those conversations.
↳ CrimsonRidgeVoyager
Exactly.
Slot probably kept starting him just to avoid confrontation… then suddenly benched him without explanation.
Maybe that’s not literally what happened, but given their personalities, it wouldn’t be surprising.
FrostlineHarborRunner
A player can’t be bigger than the club.
Salah was benched because of performance, and if a legend can’t accept that, it becomes the “untouchable star” problem.
At that point, even a club icon has to go for the team to function.
SkylineTalonEcho
Salah saying he made “a lot of promises with the club about playing time” over the summer…
Can’t believe that kind of thing still happens.
CopperShadowDrift
Calling out the club and the manager publicly is game over.
Legend or not, it doesn’t matter.
Even Gerrard had an awful final year, but he never went this far in public.
Salah and Slot are both finished.
GraniteHollowTrace
It’s a shame—they could’ve parted ways gracefully.
Winning the league last season would’ve been the perfect send-off.
But when you perform that well, the club always thinks you can do it again.
Success comes with its own curse.
Same with Messi—after the World Cup win he kept going, and imagine how bad things look if the next tournament goes poorly.
↳ SilverRidgeFox
Small correction: “grand finale,” not “grand ending.” Just saying.
NightfallTideRanger
Slot took a huge gamble by dropping Salah, and it blew up—he didn’t hit the 7-point target in three matches.
Salah couldn’t keep quiet and ended up detonating his own position.
Both of them walking away together feels like the only ending now.
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