Mohamed Salah names Luciano Spalletti as favourite coach, snubs Jürgen Klopp

Updated: 26 Jul, 2025 • 0 • min read

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Mohamed Salah names Luciano Spalletti as favourite coach, snubs Jürgen Klopp

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Mohamed Salah has revealed that Luciano Spalletti - not Jürgen Klopp - is his favourite coach, crediting the Italian tactician as the man who helped transform him into the elite forward he is today.

Speaking in a rapid-fire interview with France Football in July 2025, Salah was asked to name his favourite coach from his career.

After pausing briefly, the Egyptian replied simply:

Luciano Spalletti.

It's a surprising answer, especially given Salah's stunning success under Klopp at Liverpool, where he became a Premier League and Champions League winner, racking up goals, assists, and accolades.

Spalletti's Key Role in Salah's Rise

Salah, now widely regarded as one of the Premier League's greatest-ever players, had a bumpy start in English football.

At Chelsea under José Mourinho, he struggled for game time and confidence, even admitting to being left in tears after criticism from the Portuguese boss.

It wasn't until his loan moves to Fiorentina and later AS Roma, under Spalletti, that Salah found his rhythm - and his shooting boots.

Under Spalletti's guidance at Roma, Salah scored 28 goals and registered 20 assists, finally becoming the clinical attacker who would go on to light up Anfield.

Speaking to Marca in 2021, Salah said:

I had to work a lot with my finishing, I was not born with the goals. I did not score many goals when I was in Basel.

I worked a lot with Mr Spalletti and almost every day, after training we spent time together on the field to train, train and train. I even created a plan in my garden to practice and improve my finishes.

A Snub for Klopp?

Given Salah's legacy at Liverpool, some fans may be surprised he didn't pick Klopp.

The pair's relationship did cool slightly in recent seasons, especially after a touchline clash during a 2–2 draw with West Ham United near the end of Klopp's reign.

Still, Spalletti himself in 2018 praised Klopp for elevating Salah to new heights but insisted the foundations were already there.

Klopp did amazing work, but Mo was already special. He just needed the right focus.

I tried telling him to stay more central for a whole season. He liked being out wide but then realised what his best position was.

He has what it takes to go beyond the numbers he's achieved so far. He loves his work and his teammates, and he makes all of himself available for the team's objective.

Legacy Beyond Liverpool

Now in the latter stages of his career, Salah continues to score and assist at an elite level under new Liverpool boss Arne Slot.

But he'll always credit Spalletti as the coach who first unlocked his full potential - a rare and honest tribute in a career shaped by multiple great coaches.

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