Mohamed Salah is a true Premier League legend these days. He will be regarded as one of the best players to have ever played in the English Premier League when he departs Liverpool.
That being said, it’s even more amazing that he utterly failed at Chelsea. For an estimated £11 million, he left Swiss team Basel to join the Blues in 2014 as an enticing potential.
But to put it mildly, his first taste of Premier League football was challenging. Before being sent out on loan nearly a year after coming, Salah had a turbulent first 12 months at Stamford Bridge, making only two league goals in 13 games.
He settled in Italy, as everyone knows, and after making an impression at Fiorentina, he went to Roma before joining Liverpool in 2017. However, it’s interesting to learn about one of his last conversations with former boss Jose Mourinho when reflecting on his lowest point at Chelsea.
Jose Left Salah in Tears at Chelsea
“Mourinho came in and ripped into him”
Salah had only played eight games for the West London club in April 2014, a few months after arriving, but he had already scored twice and provided an assist. The Egyptian was given a start in the season’s second-to-last match, with Chelsea eliminated from the title fight but guaranteed Champions League football.
But he was abruptly fired at halftime after playing just forty-five minutes against Norwich City at home. A ‘bust-up’ between the manager and the player would be reported after the game, which would finish in a scoreless draw. Mourinho gave Salah some harsh advise, according to the Daily Mail, instructing him to make sure he returned for preseason “ready to be a footballer.”
John Obi Mikel, a former Chelsea teammate, would subsequently add to the tale by saying that the Liverpool legend was moved to tears by the incident. He stated:
“I believe that [Salah] was having a rough time when Mourinho entered the game and severely criticised him.
“Salah was crying uncontrollably. We assumed that he would allow him to return to the field. However, after destroying the child, he removed him. But at the time, that was just his mindset. Would Mourinho, however, do that right now? No, I believe.
Before going on loan to Fiorentina, Salah played just four more games for Chelsea; he would never again score or assist for the Blues.
Mourinho Insisted He Had Faith in Salah
“I made a war to make him come to Chelsea”
Even if Mourinho and Salah had a clear disagreement that day, the legendary manager has since disputed that he was to blame for allowing such a gifted football player to depart Stamford Bridge. As is customary, he has even implied that he ought to receive credit for initially recognising the player’s talent. He spoke to Obi Mikel on The Obi One podcast:
“I respond completely differently when people say, ‘You let Salah go.'” I purchased Salah. It was me who said, “Buy that guy.” I got into a quarrel with him when he was travelling from Basel to Liverpool. To get him to come to Chelsea, I waged a war.
Then comes the part where you have to play for Chelsea or else you have to wait. He wanted to go on loan since he didn’t want to wait, but Chelsea eventually made the decision to sell. I wasn’t that person.
Salah is a modern-day legend, and Mourinho was an excellent manager, but for some reason, the two were unable to work together at Chelsea. More than anything, it demonstrates that connections can occasionally be just as significant as skill in football.
