Al Ahli star Roberto Firmino says there were beef between former Liverpool team-mates Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane during their time at the club.
Firmino always found himself in the middle, the glue that held the famous Liverpool trio together,
even acquiring meme status for a cheeky look he shot towards the camera when heading back to the dressing, literally between them, after the lid had threatened to come off on the pitch.
That day in 2019, a win over Burnley, Mane had reacted angrily when substituted in the final minutes.
He was frustrated by being withdrawn before the end, but also by Salah after his teammate had moments earlier opted to shoot himself rather than pass to Mane in a better position.
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In his new book ‘Si Senor: My Liverpool Years’, Firmino wrote:
“I knew those guys very well, maybe better than anyone. It was me out there on the field, right in the middle of them.
“I saw first-hand the looks, the grimaces, the body language, the dissatisfaction when one was mad at the other. I could feel it.
“I was the link between them in our attacking play and the firefighter in those moments.”
“They were never best friends; each kept himself to himself.
“It was rare to see the two of them talking and I’m not sure if that had to do with the Egypt-Senegal rivalry in African competitions. I truly don’t know.
“But they also never stopped talking, never severed ties. They always acted with the utmost professionalism.
I never took sides. That’s why they love me: I always passed the ball to both; my preference was for the team’s victory.
“Everyone, including the other players, knew that’s how it worked. It was the worst-kept secret in Liverpool – naturally, no one ever asked what I thought or how I felt. That’s just my nature; the team comes first. The boss knew it.”
