Liverpool manager Arne Slot swerves further Mohamed Salah talk after late win over Inter Milan

MILAN – Arne Slot dedicated his side’s 1-0 Champions League win at Inter Milan on Dec 9 to the players he took to Italy, refusing to further fuel a public row with star forward Mohamed Salah.

The build-up to the match had been dominated by Salah’s extraordinary criticism of Slot, who on Dec 8 admitted that he had “no clue” as to whether the rebel attacker had played his last game for the Reds after deciding not to take him to Milan.

Salah sparked huge drama at Liverpool when he said he felt like he had been “thrown under the bus” by the club and no longer had a relationship with Slot after being left on the bench for the 3-3 draw at Leeds United on Dec 6.

“In the rich history Liverpool have they’ve had many of these evenings,” Slot told reporters.

“But in the season we are in, I think if you were having an away win in this stadium against such a strong team then it should be about the ones that are here, they deserve all the credits.”

The Dutchman did, however, suggest that Salah may have spoken in the heat of the moment after the disappointing draw with Leeds.

He also suggested the responsibility may rest with the player to repair the damage.

“You concede, and then a lot of things are being said. Normally, that affects players as well, because he’s been so influential for the club and the players, so it’s never nice when something happens to their team-mates,” Slot said.

“Everyone makes mistakes in life, but does the player know he’s made a mistake? Should the initiative (to make things right) come from him or me? That’s another question.”

Reds captain Virgil van Dijk added: “It’s difficult but it’s a collective difficult situation that we’re all in.

“Between Mo and the club, things are going on and he’s not here today, that’s the reality. I don’t think anything has changed in terms of our focus and determination.”

The Reds are in the top eight of the Champions League after Dominik Szoboszlai’s controversial late penalty gave them all three points at the San Siro.

Despite the off-pitch saga, Liverpool fans loudly chanted Slot’s name at the end of a largely drab match which was decided by referee Felix Zwayer’s decision to give the English champions a perfect chance to snatch the points which Szoboszlai gobbled up.

“The penalty did look soft but that’s given anywhere else on the pitch,” said defender Andy Robertson to Amazon Prime.

“We all needed it. We know the results and performances aren’t good enough. It’s important this club is in the Champions League. It was a huge result for all of us.”

Inter’s players were enraged at the awarding of the penalty for a light shirt tug by Alessandro Bastoni on Florian Wirtz, but it gave Slot a happy end to a troubled few days.

The Dutchman himself admitted that Liverpool were lucky to be awarded the penalty, but pointed to Ibrahima Konate’s earlier goal being ruled out for handball – he believed wrongly.

“That was a penalty that I don’t think in the Premier League would have been given. But again I think the first goal was a more clearer goal than it was wrong that the penalty was given,” he said.

The win puts Liverpool on 12 points from six games and inside the top eight positions which offer direct qualification for the last 16, ahead of another round of fixtures on Dec 10.

Inter, meanwhile, are fifth on the same tally but have lost their last two European fixtures and created nearly nothing against an injury-hit Liverpool who were missing not just Salah but also unfit Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo.

Liverpool next travel to Marseille before hosting Qarabag in their final league phase fixture. Cristian Chivu’s Inter will next host Arsenal before travelling to Borussia Dortmund. AFP, REUTERS