The pair were involved in a spat on the sidelines during the Reds’ frustrating 2-2 draw with West Ham United last weekend. Salah and Klopp were seen exchanging words as the Egyptian was substituted on in the 79th minute, with a professional lip reader having claimed the 31-year-old, at one point, said: “I will, I will get a red card, after seven years, after seven years’ service, after seven years!” Speaking after the game, Klopp attempted to play down the incident, while Salah seemingly refused to back down, saying that “if I speak, there will be fire” in comments he made post-match.
Although it remains unknown exactly what the German tactician told his player, West Ham forward Michail Antonio, speaking on his *Footballer’s Football Podcast*, suggested he was able to find out what irked Klopp. “But what I have heard is what the boys have been talking about on the training ground,” he said. “As the (Liverpool) players come on, Klopp always gives them a big hug and says ‘good luck’, but when Mo came on, he walked in a different direction and was doing his shinpads and stuff like that.
“Klopp has put his hand out to him and his hand was there for a bit and as Mo stopped doing what he was doing, he just slapped his (Klopp’s) hand as a high five. “Obviously, Klopp didn’t like that and he was like, ‘do you want to sit back down? ‘, basically saying, ‘do you want to go on?’.
And nobody has told me what Mo said back.” Klopp’s time at Anfield is approaching its end, after he announced in January his decision to part from the club at the conclusion of this season, while Salah’s future at the Reds remains unclear.