REVEALED: How Real Madrid stars mocked Mohamed Salah before and after the Champions League final, with Luka Modric telling him ‘try again’ and players calling out his name after vows for ‘revenge’
- Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah had said he wanted revenge prior to May’s final
- The Egyptian went off injured in the 2018 final between the two sides
- Madrid forward Rodrygo admitted his side used Salah’s comments as motivation
- Federico Valverde had previously stated that Salah had disrespected the club
- Madrid went onto win the final 1-0 in Paris and lift their 14th Champions League
Real Madrid forward Rodrygo has revealed that he and his team-mates mocked Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah before and after their Champions League final victory over the Reds last month.
Salah had made comments in the build-up to the game about getting revenge after he went off injured in first half of the 2018 final between the two teams – which Real won 3-1 – and Rodrygo has now revealed that the Egyptian’s comments gave his side extra motivation for the game.
In an interview with Podpah, Rodrygo detailed how midfielder Luka Modric openly taunted Salah in the tunnel after the Paris final, telling him to ‘try again next time’ after Madrid won the match 1-0.
‘When a guy provokes you, sometimes you just want to win so you can make fun of them,’ said the 21-year-old. ‘In training, we used to say “come on Salah, come on Salah”.
Luka Modric (left) mocked Mohamed Salah in the tunnel after the final in Paris
Rodrygo (left) has revealed Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah’s comments was used as motivation for Real Madrid as they won the Champions League final 1-0 against the Reds
Madrid got the better of Liverpool, despite Liverpool having 24 shots on goal in the showpiece
Liverpool forward Salah failed to help his side capture their seventh Champions League title
‘In our head, it was already “we need to win to make fun of Salah”.
‘After the final ended, we passed the Liverpool players in the corridor. Salah was a bit sad and [Luka] Modric said “try again next time”.
Vinicius Jr.’s second-half goal was enough for Madrid to win the match, with Liverpool struggling to beat goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who made several saves in the game.
Liverpool had 24 shots on goal, but Madrid’s shut-out meant just one goal was needed at the other end for the Spanish side to become champions.
Salah cuts a forlorn figure as he walks past the Champions League trophy after defeat
Vinicius Junior struck the winning goal for the LaLiga giants in the 59th minute
The Brazilian’s 59th minute goal was enough to secure the win for Madrid on the night
Salah told France Football after the game that Liverpool ‘deserved to win’, clearly still hurting from the Reds’ Paris failure.
‘We had more chances,’ he said. ‘I had two or three clear chances but Thibaut Courtois made incredible saves.
‘It’s his job, that’s what Real Madrid signed him for. It was his night.’
The Reds underwhelmed at the Stade de France, and Salah failed to get the revenge he craved after Sergio Ramos’ challenge in 2018.
In the build-up to the game, Madrid forward Federico Valverde had said that Salah had disrespected the Real Madrid badge and players with his comments.
Salah was injured in the 2018 final in a challenge from then-Madrid captain Sergio Ramos
Salah was consoled by Cristiano Ronaldo and described it as the worst day of his career
Valverde told Marca: ‘Obviously they’re words that everyone can take however they want. I’m his opponent and it’s like disrespecting the Real Madrid badge, the players.’
Salah told BT Sport in May: ‘I want to play Madrid, I have to be honest. City are a really tough team, we played against them a few times this season, but I think if you ask me personally, I would prefer Madrid.
‘Because we lost in the final against them, I want to play against them, and hopefully win against them.’
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp had urged Salah to stay focused on the match as his comments motivated Liverpool’s opponents, and the Egyptian ultimately failed to reach the heights he had during the rest of the season in Paris.
