Slot v Salah in Liverpool civil war now | OneFootball

Slot–Salah Rift Sparks Civil War at Liverpool

Liverpool’s season—once defined by optimism under a new era—has erupted into turmoil, with tensions between Arne Slot and Mohamed Salah now dominating the narrative. What unfolded at Elland Road was not merely the fallout from another frustrating draw; it was the ignition point of what Lewis Steele has described as a “civil war” inside the club, a confrontation that could reshape Liverpool’s immediate future.

Salah’s Outburst Sends Shockwaves

For most of the evening at Elland Road, Salah looked like a man trying to vanish into the background. Sitting in a puffer jacket and masked by a balaclava, he had no involvement in the disappointing result and yet found himself at the centre of everything that followed.

As unused substitutes began their customary warm-down, Salah sprinted up and down the touchline with an intensity that captured a simmering anger. Moments earlier, he had approached the travelling supporters with an ambiguous gesture—arms outstretched, a wave that could have meant anything from reassurance to farewell.

Photo: IMAGO

But it was what came next that changed the temperature inside Liverpool’s season.

Marching towards the team coach, he locked eyes with a group of reporters. According to Lewis Steele, Salah “promised to come back,” a line that many in attendance instantly understood as a precursor to another explosive conversation.

Word travelled fast. “I hear Mo has been talking,” one Egyptian journalist messaged within minutes. And indeed, he had. The seven-minute conversation that followed would go global, carrying one blunt message: Salah wants Slot out.

Growing Fractures Inside the Dressing Room

Support for Slot has remained public from some quarters. Virgil van Dijk has backed his compatriot in recent weeks, and Dominik Szoboszlai has spoken positively about the manager’s methods. But losing Salah’s support is seismic.

Steele wrote that Slot now faces “a mountain to climb,” and the recent run of two wins in ten league matches has already placed pressure on the head coach. When the most influential figure at the club this side of Steven Gerrard makes such a decisive statement, the ramifications are immediate and profound.

Among staff and players, the fallout was instant. Team-mates boarding the bus at Elland Road were shell-shocked. Others scrolling through their phones on the motorway back to Merseyside were confronted with Salah’s blunt assessment of the situation.

Slot’s Authority Tested

This conflict has triggered major questions about Slot’s next move—and the future of all involved. Salah, approaching 34 with twelve months on his contract, is unlikely to step back from his position. Slot, meanwhile, must consider whether involving him in upcoming fixtures undermines his authority further.

Liverpool fly from John Lennon Airport to Milan early this week. Will Salah be on the plane? Will he take part in training at the AXA Training Centre before the Inter Milan fixture? Will Slot start him at the San Siro?

Any answer of “yes”, as Steele notes, could weaken Slot’s control. Any answer of “no” risks escalating the conflict further.

Meanwhile, decision-makers Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes find themselves caught between two powerful forces: their star forward, and the head coach who delivered a Premier League title last season.

Uncertain Future Amid Civil War

This is not the first time Salah has used post-match conversations to force change. At Southampton last season, he launched into a frank critique of his contract situation and ultimately secured the new deal he sought. The parallels now are impossible to ignore.

Steele reports that Salah plans to bring his parents to Anfield for the match against Brighton, believing it may be his final appearance before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations. Slot must now decide whether to play a man who has publicly challenged him, or to leave him out entirely and risk a backlash from fans.

Both options carry risk. Neither offers peace.

Liverpool, once Premier League champions, now find themselves navigating a civil war between their biggest icon and their under-fire head coach. Whether Slot chooses reconciliation or confrontation will define his tenure—and perhaps the legacy of one of the greatest players ever to pull on the red shirt.