Mohamed Salah was mocked by Real Madrid players before and after their Champions League final triumph last month according to Galacticos midfielder Rodrygo.
Mohamed Salah had said in the build-up to the game that he wanted revenge after being injured in the first half of the 2018 final between the two sides, which Real won 3-1. Unfortunately, the Egyptian striker was not able to get revenge.
Rodrygo, one of the stars that ensured that Salah did not get his desired revenge on Real Madrid on May 28, 2022, revealed that Salah’s comment provided his team extra incentive for the Champions League final.
In an interview with Podpah, Rodrygo revealed how Luka Modric publicly mocked Salah after Madrid’s 1-0 victory in the Paris final, asking him to ‘try again next time.’
‘When a guy provokes you, sometimes you just want to win so you can make fun of them,’ said the 21-year-old. ‘In training, we used to say “come on Salah, come on Salah”.
‘In our head, it was already “we need to win to make fun of Salah”.
“After the final, when we were giving a guard of honor to Liverpool, Salah was coming a bit sad, head down, and then Modric looked at him and said ‘Thanks Salah, try again next time.’ He provoked us before the final and we were not having it.”
Madrid won the match thanks to Vinicius Jr.’s second-half goal, with Liverpool struggling to beat Thibaut Courtois, who made multiple saves throughout the game.
Liverpool had 24 shots on goal, but Madrid’s shutout ensured the Spanish side only needed one goal at the opposite end to win the title.
After the game, Salah told France Football that Liverpool ‘deserved to win,’ evidently still stinging from the Reds’ defeat in Paris.
‘We had more chances,’ he said. ‘I had two or three clear chances but Thibaut Courtois made incredible saves.
‘It’s his job, that’s what Real Madrid signed him for. It was his night.’
At the Stade de France, the Reds were underwhelming, and Salah was unable to exact the vengeance he sought after Sergio Ramos’ challenge in 2018.
Salah had abused the Real Madrid emblem and players, according to Madrid forward Federico Valverde, in the build-up to the game.
Valverde told Marca: ‘Obviously they’re words that everyone can take however they want. I’m his opponent and it’s like disrespecting the Real Madrid badge, the players.’
Salah told BT Sport in May: ‘I want to play Madrid, I have to be honest. City are a really tough team, we played against them a few times this season, but I think if you ask me personally, I would prefer Madrid.
‘Because we lost in the final against them, I want to play against them, and hopefully win against them.’
Due to his inciting comment, Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp had to caution Salah to stay focused on the game but the warning came too late as his words had enraged Liverpool’s opponents, and the Egyptian eventually failed to match his words to his action in Paris.
