Egyptian midfielder Sam Morsy has stepped in to defend his compatriot Mohamed Salah after a wave of criticism from sections of the English media and former players.
The backlash followed Salah’s recent dispute with Liverpool, which escalated when he was left on the bench for a third successive match against Leeds United on 6 December.
After that 3–3 draw, Salah publicly attacked coach Arne Slot and the club’s management, saying his relationship with the manager had broken down and that the club had thrown him “under the bus”, claiming someone at Liverpool wanted him out.
His comments led to fierce reactions in England, including a strongly worded article by The Athletic journalist Simon Hughes, who argued that Salah enjoys special treatment with Egypt and believes the world revolves around him. Hughes wrote that Salah “gets what he wants” with the national team and questioned whether this mentality could still lead Egypt to the AFCON title.
Morsy, who has shared multiple Egypt camps with Salah and faced him in the Premier League, rejected that portrayal on X, saying: “I’ve been in many camps with Salah over the years under different managers, and this has never happened,” before branding the article a “disgraceful piece”.
