After Jurgen Klopp looked to diffuse the tension following his touchline row with Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool winger appeared to laugh off the drama.
With only three games left in the season, and with Klopp poised to depart his role as manager, the scenes at West Ham‘s London Stadium were ugly.
As the manager prepared to send Salah, Darwin Nunez and Joe Gomez on, he exchanged words with his No. 11.
Salah was clearly not happy with what was said, arguing with Klopp before they were separated by his fellow substitutes.
In a post-match interview with TNT Sports, Klopp refused to explain the issue, claiming that the pair had spoken in the dressing room and “that’s done.”
?”THERE’S GOING TO BE FIRE TODAY IF I SPEAK”
Salah after discussion with Klopp during the West Ham match.
Vai pegar fogo se eu falar hoje! Disse Salah na zona mista em Londres após discussão com Klopp pic.twitter.com/oJPhbGm3aL
— Joao Castelo-Branco (@j_castelobranco) April 27, 2024
As the players headed for the exit afterwards, Salah walked past journalists in the mixed zone, and was asked by The Athletic’s James Pearce for an interview.
“There’s going to be fire today if I speak,” he was filmed telling Pearce.
“Fire?” was the journalist’s reply, with Salah saying: “Of course!”
Though the audio is difficult to decipher, the Egyptian seemed to allude to the media ‘writing the story themselves’ as he walked off towards the team bus.
While their partnership is nearing an end either way, the hope will be that this latest flare-up can be brushed under the carpet, with Salah already looking to have laughed off any drama.
It will likely rumble on in the coming days, of course, particularly after the 31-year-old was left out of the starting lineup for the second time in three games.
Liverpool are not in action again now until next Sunday, when they return to Anfield for the first time in five games to host Tottenham.
Salah will be expected to reclaim his place in the starting lineup for Klopp’s penultimate home game in charge, but it remains to be seen if there is more fallout before then.
