Mo Salah’s agent has hit out at the ‘influencers’ who aimed ‘ridiculous’ criticism at the Liverpool forward in the wake of the injury that he suffered while playing for Egypt a week ago.
The 31-year-old was forced out of the 2-2 draw against Ghana and, after it was made known that he’d be returning to his club for treatment, a number of Egyptian fans – along with the country’s most-capped player in Ahmed Hassan – lambasted him and even accused him of lacking loyalty to his nation.
On Thursday evening, Ramy Abbas took to social media to launch a stinging rebuke at those who he claims sought to ‘capitalise’ on the situation in the pursuit of ‘fame, clicks and likes’.
Salah’s agent posted on X: “The same individuals and ‘influencers’ who get weak in the knees when they happen to bump into Mohamed in person and beg for ‘follows’ or selfies, tried to capitalise on an unfortunate injury and questioned Mohamed’s commitment to his country. They did this looking for fame, clicks and ‘likes’.
“I want to thank those who did the honourable thing and pointed out how ridiculous and cheap that was. I took names. In both cases.
“Most importantly, to the vast majority of you, who support Mohamed, my message to you is not to worry, because your global icon, the one you helped create, is already too big to be brought down by social media. No hyperventilating or foaming-in-the-mouth ‘influencer’ is going to change that.”
The same individuals and ‘influencers’ who get weak in the knees when they happen to bump into Mohamed in person and beg for ‘follows’ or selfies, tried to capitalise on an unfortunate injury and questioned Mohamed’s commitment to his country. They did this looking for fame,…
— Ramy Abbas Issa (@RamyCol) January 25, 2024
It’s quite understandable why Abbas felt an urge to hit back at those who’ve been slating Salah over the past week, with his client an easy target given his fame as a world-class footballer.
As Pep Lijnders has stressed in recent days, anyone doubting the commitment and professionalism of the 31-year-old is wide of the mark. You only need to look at how rarely he gets injured to realise how excellently he looks after himself and keeps himself in prime condition.
Sadly, we live in an era where it’s incredibly easy for any person to set up a social media profile (in some cases without having to use their name or provide any proof of identification) and spread hatred about fellow humankind.
Salah won’t be overly perturbed by the outcry from his homeland. He’ll simply take the decision that he feels is best for him and is most likely to ensure that he can resume playing for either club or country as quickly as possible.
It’s good to have him back at Liverpool, where he’s best placed to get the treatment that he needs in order to facilitate a swift return to match fitness.