"I don't think it's a bad thing" - Sadio Mane opens up on his rivalry with ex-Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah

Former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has opened up about his relationship with Mohamed Salah. He called him a 'nice guy' and recalled their on-field clash in 2019.

Mane joined Liverpool from Southampton in 2016, while Salah arrived from AS Roma in 2017. They joined hands with Roberto Firmino and formed a lethal trio for the Reds. However, there was speculation that Mane and Salah didn't gel well together at Liverpool.

In an interview with Rio Ferdinand on his YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand Presents, the Al-Nassr star spoke about their relationship and said:

"Great player. Good player. Great player. Everybody say the same (that there was a rivalry), you know, usually. But it's not… I don't think it's a bad thing. So, I think Mo is also a very nice guy. He's a nice guy. I think though, inside the pitch, you can see - sometimes he passes me, sometimes he doesn't pass me; sometimes he passes me, sometimes he doesn't pass me. But, you know, only Bobby was there to share the ball. Sometimes like this…"

In 2019, Liverpool beat Burnley 3-0. Mane had already scored before Salah squandered a chance instead of passing it to the Senegalese forward. Mane made some angry gestures while getting subbed off, and they also clashed a bit after the full-time whistle.

Recalling that game, Mane told Ferdinand:

“And I still remember one game when I was really, really angry because he didn't pass me, he should pass me. Burnley. You know before this, I watched that game, and I watched your face. Oh, it was amazing. That's why I was really, really angry after the game. And the next day he came to me. He wants to talk to me, but he doesn’t know when, how to say."

"He still thinks I'm angry against him because we didn't see each other, we go home. And the next day he came to me. He said, 'Can we talk?' I said, 'OK, no problem, we go.' And he said, 'You think I didn't want to pass you? I didn’t score. Bobby scored. But even when I got the ball, I was not thinking or even seeing you to pass. I just got the ball. I want to shoot. But I have nothing against you. And honestly, if I could pass you and I saw you, I will do."

Mane concluded:

“And then I was talking, I think, 'Mo, I can see you want to be more… I can help you a lot because I know you want to be top scorer. You want… I can. Me, I'm here. I can help you because I don't have this problem. Me, I'll help you more.'"

Mane and Salah shared the pitch 223 times for Liverpool, combining for 35 goals.

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When Mohamed Salah opened up about 'tense' relationship with Sadio Mane at Liverpool

Mohamed Salah also shared his thoughts on his relationship with the Senegal international in an interview with France Football earlier this year. He said that they were professional, but there was certainly some tension between them.

The Egyptian King said:

“Yes, there was tension with Sadio. Mind you, we were professional until the end; I don’t think it affected the team. It’s human to want more, I understand that; he’s a competitor. Off the pitch, we weren’t very close, but we always respected each other.”

When asked about some fans calling him selfish, Salah said:

"People can think what they want; it’s their right. But I invite everyone to note that the person who provided Mané with the most assists is me."

Mane left Liverpool in 2022 to join Bayern Munich before moving to Al-Nassr the following year. Salah, meanwhile, signed a new contract with the Merseysiders earlier this year, which expires in 2027.