Former Liverpool star Dejan Lovren has hit out on the means the English media handled Mohamed Salah throughout his ultimate season at Anfield – and likewise launched a blistering assault on Arne Slot.
Lovren, 36, grew shut with Salah throughout their time collectively on the membership and so they have remained good mates regardless of the Croatian representing Zenit Saint Petersburg, Lyon and PAOK since his departure in 2020.
Salah endured a troublesome ultimate marketing campaign with the Reds, scoring simply seven instances within the league after successful the Premier League’s Participant of the Season award in 2024-25.
He additionally had a excessive profile fallout with Slot and confirmed in March that he could be leaving the membership this summer time a 12 months earlier than his contract ended.
All through the season, Salah made a number of digs in direction of the previous Liverpool boss, resulting in his conduct and kind being criticised by pundits, together with Jamie Carragher – who known as him ‘egocentric’ and recommended that he was now not a assured starter for the membership.
And Lovren has now jumped to Salah’s defence and criticised the best way the Egyptian was handled over the previous 12 months.
Former Liverpool star Dejan Lovren has hit out on the means Mohamed Salah was handled by the English media throughout his ultimate season on the membership (pictured in 2020 after successful the league)
Lovren took purpose at Reds legend Jamie Carragher, who he accused of ‘acting on TV’
‘The best way they handled him this season just isn’t harsh,’ he advised WinWin. ‘It is disgusting. Why did not they speak about him like this for the previous eight or 9 years? Inform me… OK, one season, after which he is the goal once more. There are such a lot of different points.
‘I imply, he is being actually closely criticised. Some pundits do it simply to draw consideration, possibly as a result of they have not succeeded in different areas of their lives, so now they should carry out nicely.
‘Typically individuals put Mo within the highlight, after which the straightforward half is, like I stated… particularly Carragher, he says no matter he needs. I at all times stated he ought to inform him this to his face, say all this stuff to Mo to his face. He’ll by no means say that. As a result of I do know he by no means will, as a result of he by no means stated it to me.
‘He is talked badly about me too, however he by no means stated that to me anyway. You realize, he is simply acting on TV and he will get paid for it, so he must carry out this fashion.
‘However no matter, it simply hurts me as a result of I do know deep down who Mo is. As a result of he is a extremely good man inside, with an excellent thoughts and an excellent coronary heart. I truthfully do not perceive. He deserves so a lot better, you guys.’
In March, Carragher courted controversy when he did not title Salah in his high 5 gamers in Liverpool historical past, as an alternative preferring Ian Rush, John Barnes, Graeme Souness, Sir Kenny Dalglish and Steven Gerrard.
When pressed on that, Lovren insisted he ‘would not take Carragher too significantly’ – and recommended that the previous defender was flawed in his rankings.
The Croatian was additionally closely essential of Slot, who was sacked final week following a troublesome season.
Again in December, Salah claimed he had ‘no relationship’ with the Dutchman and final month he aimed one other dig at him in a bombshell social media submit.
Lovren insisted that the Egyptian ‘would have stayed 100 per cent’ if Slot had been dismissed earlier, and added that he was the primary purpose for the ahead’s exit this summer time.
‘I do not suppose it is the administration (that pushed Salah to depart),’ Lovren stated. ‘I believe it is only one individual, and I believe it is simply the supervisor.
‘They did not have an excellent relationship. Let’s put it merely. With Klopp, he had a extremely good relationship. It wasn’t at all times excellent, however they knew one another very nicely, as an instance that too, and so they trusted one another, they appreciated one another, and Mo gave every part on the pitch for Klopp, and Klopp gave him that belief.
‘However (with Slot) it was the other. It is that straightforward, and everybody is aware of it as a result of whenever you take a look at the earlier eight or 9 seasons, he did very well.
‘Then within the final season… now individuals will say, “oh sure, however he additionally did nicely within the first 12 months Slot got here in,” however I do not suppose that was due to him – I believe he simply took over the group because it was.’
Lovren additionally claimed Slot is the one purpose why Salah is leaving the membership this summer time
Lovren’s exceptional criticism continued with him aiming a dig at how the membership dealt with the drama between Salah and Slot, and echoed the ahead’s ideas that he had been ‘thrown underneath the bus’.
He equally recommended Salah had been made a scapegoat for Liverpool’s struggles and insisted that no-one was there to ‘shield and help him’ when he wanted it.
Lovren continued: ‘There are different gamers who also needs to take accountability and say, “sure, that is my fault”, however you already know, some gamers by no means got here ahead.
‘There was mismanagement; internally, they did not deal with it nicely. They did not deal with it nicely. Even in case you have some issues, it’s important to speak about it within the dressing room, and like I stated, Mo by no means felt that help.
‘He was at all times the front-page headline, “Ah, it is Mohamed Salah, do not be stunned.” I imply… it is a deep-seated difficulty.’
