Salah’s ‘Revolution’ in Egypt Signals Potential End of Liverpool Era

EGYPT :  To understand the intensity of the footballing storm surrounding Mohamed Salah, one must first appreciate his status in Egypt. With a population of 120 million, Cairo alone is home to 23 million—and in this overwhelming national context, Salah is revered as the ‘Fourth Pyramid,’ an unofficial national leader.

This scale of national identity explains the “revolution” of fury that followed Salah’s incendiary 6 December interview, where he claimed Liverpool had “thrown him under the bus.” “99% of Egypt supports Salah,” said Diaa El-Sayed, the former Egypt assistant coach.

While British media, including former defender Jamie Carragher, branded the interview a “disgrace,” the sentiment in Cairo is unequivocal. “Before Salah, no-one supported Liverpool here,” noted local Noura Essam. “We will always support him.” The extent of this adoration was demonstrated in the 2018 presidential election, when over one million citizens cast votes for Salah as a write-in candidate.

The perceived slight against Salah—named on the bench for three consecutive games by Arne Slot and excluded from the Champions League trip to Inter Milan—was felt as a personal “humiliation” across the country.

“To see one of our own hurting was shocking and the spontaneous national response was basically autopilot,” said journalist Ahmed Gamal Ali. Former Egyptian FA spokesman Osama Ismail recalled that when Liverpool played in Milan, “all of Egypt supported Inter Milan.”

Now, as Salah joins the national team for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco, the focus is on maximizing his “double motivation” to prove his worth and finally win a title with his country—a major ambition that has eluded him, having lost the finals in 2017 and 2021.

Salah still views himself as one of the first names on Liverpool’s team sheet, but the underlying tension is undeniable. While manager Slot insisted there was “no issue to resolve” and Salah’s teammates want him to stay, the dynamic has shifted.

The forward’s future now rests with his agent, Ramy Abbas, who will engage in talks with the club while Salah is away at Afcon. The current understanding is that neither side wishes to cut ties in January, but a move at the end of the season appears increasingly likely to suit both parties.

Salah’s £400,000-a-week contract expires in 2027, making him a prime target for clubs in Saudi Arabia. Although the love affair with Liverpool may be ending, there is a belief that Salah, whose family enjoys the British way of life, may return to live in the city after retirement.

But for now, as billboards across Cairo attest—where all roads lead to the ‘Egyptian King’—Salah is focused on national glory. His situation at Liverpool, however, strongly signals that his era as the undisputed focal point at Anfield is drawing to a close.