Egypt’s New Manager Criticizes Salah’s Choice to Play Through Injury
Egypt’s early elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) resulted in the appointment of a new manager. However, one of the first issues he addressed was the decision made by Mohamed Salah to return to Liverpool for treatment instead of staying with the national team to aid his recovery from a hamstring injury suffered in Egypt’s second group game.
The backlash and criticism against Salah’s decision were significant, with many failing to understand the benefits of him receiving specialist treatment at his club. Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s all-time top goalscorer, was one of the figures who strongly criticized Salah for his choice. Interestingly, Hassan has now been named the new manager after the dismissal of Rui Vitoria following Egypt’s round of 16 exit from AFCON.
Hassan expressed his opinion on Salah’s injury back in January, stating that if Salah wanted to travel, he should not return to the national team again. According to him, the injury was not severe, and Salah only needed physiotherapy, which was available with the national team. Hassan also emphasized that Salah’s status as a top player meant that Liverpool would send doctors and physical therapists to him if needed.
He further added that Salah, with his great value, should continue with the national team both morally and psychologically. Hassan believed that even if Salah was unable to play due to injury, he still had a significant role to play from both a technical and moral perspective. He even suggested that if he were the Egypt manager and Salah expressed his desire to travel to Liverpool, he would advise him to continue there since the national team had capable individuals who could fill his role.
The relationship between Salah, his national team, and Liverpool moving forward is certainly an interesting one. The agreement between Liverpool and Egypt was for Salah to return to AFCON as soon as he was fit, which would have been for the final. However, Egypt did not make it that far in the tournament.
Throughout all the criticism, Salah received support from his club. Jurgen Klopp, Pepijn Lijnders, and his agent, Ramy Abbas, defended Salah’s decision and called out those who questioned the choices made by the Egypt captain. It is clear that Salah’s priority was his recovery and ensuring he received the best possible treatment for his injury.
As Egypt’s new manager, Hossam Hassan will have to navigate this delicate situation and find a balance between supporting Salah’s recovery needs and ensuring the success of the national team. It remains to be seen how this relationship will develop in the future, but one thing is certain – Mohamed Salah’s commitment to both club and country is unquestionable.