‘That’s why we’re here now’ – Mo Salah insists Liverpool ‘had benefits’ following their Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in 2018 and remembers back to a crucial meeting with Jurgen Klopp

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Mo Salah has revealed he and Jurgen Klopp shared a meeting following Liverpool’s devastating Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid back in 2018.

The Reds were defeated 3-1 by Los Blancos in Kiev and the Egyptian King had his shoulder injured by Sergio Ramos during the game and was forced off during the first half of the showcase fixture.

Salah and his teammates will have their chance of revenge on May 28 in Paris when the two sides meet once again in Europe’s premier competition, but the former AS Roma man has revealed he shared a conversation with the German boss which spurred the side onto victory the following season when they defeated Spurs in Madrid.

“You just feel so disappointed, so down,” Salah said when discussing his emotions after the final in the Ukrainian capital (as quoted by the Daily Mirror).

“‘Ah come on, not in this game!’ But once you have time, it makes you forget.

“I had work affairs and then I had a holiday after. In that holiday I just asked, what do you want? To keep crying about it and be sad about it and it takes you down? Or you just fight back. And I fought back in the best way and that’s why we’re here now.

“We had a meeting after and the manager talked to us in pre-season. We were so hungry to win the Champions League the year after and in the Premier League we were very close as well. I think it had some benefits also, not everything was good losing that final but we had benefits.”

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That fixture certainly made us stronger.

We bounced back the next season and lifted our sixth European Cup and finished the Premier League season in second, one point behind Manchester City.

The character of the squad is really impressive and there’s no surprise as to why Klopp regularly labels his players as ‘mentality monsters’.

Many teams could have folded after coming so close, but the determination amongst the group to continue seeking success is what makes us a really special side.

We can win all four trophies on offer this season and following our League Cup victory back in February and the fact that we’ve already booked our spot in both the FA Cup and Champions League final, we’ll now play every single game possible this season.

It’s been a hectic schedule all season, but it’s credit to the lads and the unreal options at the German’s disposal that we’ve remained competitive on all fronts.

A big few weeks are now on the horizon – starting with tomorrow night’s huge clash with Antonio Conte’s top-four chasing Spurs at Anfield.

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