Mohamed Salah lifts lid on 'tension' with Sadio Mané during Liverpool years

Updated: 11 May, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Mohamed Salah lifts lid on 'tension' with Sadio Mané during Liverpool years

Photo: Getty Images

Mohamed Salah has admitted there was "tension" between himself and former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mané during their prolific spell together, but insists they always remained professional for the good of the team.

The Egyptian forward opened up about his dynamic with Mané in a candid interview with French outlet L'Équipe, shedding new light on a partnership that, whilst devastating on the pitch, often appeared fraught behind the scenes.

Yes, there was tension with Sadio. Mind you, we were professional until the end, I don't think it affected the team.

It's human to want more, I understand that, he's a competitor.

Off the pitch, we weren't very close, but we always respected each other.

Fierce Competition Within an Iconic Front Three

Together with Roberto Firmino, Salah and Mané formed one of the most lethal attacking trios in Premier League history.

Between 2017 and 2022, the trio combined for 338 goals and 139 assists, driving Liverpool to a Champions League triumph in 2019 and their first league title in 30 years the following season.

Salah (156 goals), Mané (107), and Firmino (75) were ruthless in front of goal, and their productivity often fed off one another.

Firmino, with 50 assists, was seen as the unselfish "glue" who linked the explosive duo.

Despite sharing 18 assists each, speculation around Salah and Mané's relationship intensified, particularly following an explosive moment in a 3-0 win over Burnley in 2019, when Mané fumed after being subbed - seemingly frustrated at Salah's decision not to pass in a promising attack.

Salah Responds to "Selfish" Claims

Addressing the rumours of selfishness and their pursuit of the Golden Boot dividing the pair, Salah was blunt.

I don't care. People can think what they want, it's their right.

But I invite everyone to note that the person who provided Mané with the most assists is me.

We can look at the facts, but it's obviously easier to throw out phrases like that; it makes the headlines, I know how it works.

As long as it remains within the limits of respect, that's fine with me. But that doesn't mean that this opinion is true.

At the end of the day, I know what I did, and my conscience is clear.

Different Paths After Anfield

Salah and Mané parted ways in 2022 when the Senegalese winger joined Bayern Munich in a £27 million move.

His time in Germany was short-lived despite winning the Bundesliga, and after a dressing-room altercation with Leroy Sané, he joined Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Salah continues to be the talisman at Liverpool, where his legacy as one of the club's greatest-ever forwards is already secured.

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