An ugly scene greeted Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with West Ham in the Premier League at the weekend.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who was benched in the game, fell out with his manager Jurgen Klopp when he was about to be subbed on.
In footage on social media, Salah engaged Klopp in a verbal row, remonstrating menacingly in the direction of the exit-bound German tactician.
Teammate Darwin Nunez made a timely intervention that saved the day for the duo as the fallout seemed to boil out of control.
There have been speculations on what actually led to the bust-up between the pair. While the field camera panned in the direction of the duo, what they said to each other was inaudible
Former Liverpool player and pundit Jamie Carragher suggested Jurgen Klopp must have been unnerved at Salah for delaying to come on when he was about to be brought on for Luis Diaz.
Carragher’s and several other speculations have been circulating in the media to explain the fallout.
Now, a source close to Liverpool’s dressing room has revealed what led to the infamous touchline spat between Klopp and Salah.
As shared by the Sun, the source revealed Salah was not happy that he was benched for the second time in Liverpool’s last three matches.
It added Salah snubbed Jurgen Klopp’s handshake – the usual way the manager always communicates with his substitutes when they are about to be subbed on – due to his grudge against the German for dropping him in matches.
“Salah was not happy that he was benched in the match. He firstly ignored Jurgen Klopp’s handshake before reluctantly taking it.
“That is why they fell out with each other,” the source said.
The source also revealed the players were given two days break after the game and will return to training again on Tuesday, April 30.
After the match, tensions continued to boil between Salah and Klopp. While Klopp played down the incident in his post-match press conference Salah gave a fiery response when asked about the incident.
The Egyptian forward said he will not speak because if he did, it will be fire.
It is understood Salah’s relationship with Jurgen Klopp seems to have been strained recently in the wake of Liverpool’s current slumber.
However, it is hoped tensions will subside between the pair by the time the team return to training on Tuesday.
