Mohamed Salah took a light-hearted swipe at Jurgen Klopp after Liverpool secured their 20th English top-flight title on Sunday.
The 32-year-old forward found the net during Liverpool’s dominant 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, a result that crowned Arne Slot’s team Premier League champions with four games still to play.
Salah’s goal, Liverpool’s fourth of the match, marked his 28th league strike of the 2024/25 season — and his first since signing a new two-year contract on April 10.
Unlike in 2020, when Liverpool won the league behind closed doors due to COVID-19 restrictions, this time the players and fans were able to celebrate the triumph together, making it the first shared title celebration since 1990.
When asked which title felt more meaningful, Salah told Sky Sports: “Ah, this is way better, 100 percent. Without Sadio, without Jurgen, without Bobby — with everyone it feels more special, with the fans. You have a new group, a new manager, and showing you can do it again is something special.”
Salah also suggested he prefers his role under Slot compared to Klopp, adding: “You can see the numbers. Now I don’t have to defend as much. The tactics are very different. I told him, ‘if you let me rest defensively, I’ll deliver offensively,’ and I’m glad I did. He listened, and the results are clear.”
Salah is now the leading contender for the Premier League Golden Boot and is expected to be in the conversation for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
Meanwhile, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot was quick to pay tribute to Klopp while addressing fans at Anfield.
“It feels great,” Slot said. “I don’t have much to say except to express my appreciation to Jurgen Klopp.”
He added during an interview with Match of the Day: “I’m almost certain that if I check my phone, there will be a message from Jurgen. Throughout the season, we stayed in touch. Last year, he showed what a wonderful person he is by helping introduce me to the club. Most importantly, he left behind a team capable of winning the trophy.”