Ex-Liverpool star details extent of rivalry between Mo Salah and Sadio Mane during his time with the club

Former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino has detailed the extent of the rivalry between Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane during their together at the club. The Brazilian revealed that the two African superstars weren't the best of friends at Anfield. He also explained how he played the role of a peacemaker between them.

Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, and Mohamed Salah formed a formidable attacking trident at Liverpool that took Europe by storm between 2017 and 2022. The trio enjoyed a successful spell, scoring loads of goals and winning multiple honors, including the Champions League and the Premier League.

However, despite their on-field success, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane never had the best of relationships. Rumors of the pair's frosty link first hit the public back in 2019. The Senegalese raged at his Egyptian counterpart for not passing the ball to him during a Premier League game against Burnley.

Now, their former partner Roberto Firmino has come out and opened the lid on how things were going between them.

"For many, that disagreement between Sadio and Mo was the first; for some, the first and last," Firmino wrote in his new book, Sí Señor: My Liverpool Years.

"But I knew it had been brewing since the previous season, 2018-19. My instinct and my duty was to defuse the situation between them. Pour water on the fire – never petrol."

Firmino further shed light on the role he played in enduring there's peace between two African superstars, writing:

"I knew those guys very well, maybe better than anyone. It was me out there on the field, right in the middle of them. I saw first-hand the looks, the grimaces, the body language, the dissatisfaction when one was mad at the other. I could feel it. I was the link between them in our attacking play and the firefighter in those moments.

"They were never best friends; each kept himself to himself. It was rare to see the two of them talking and I’m not sure if that had to do with the Egypt-Senegal rivalry in African competitions," the Brazilian further wrote.

The trio have now completely separated as Mane moved to Bayern Munich last summer while Firmino joined Al-Etiffaq this summer.

---

Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane's numbers for Liverpool

Sadio Mane became an instant fan favorite after joining Liverpool from Southampton back in the summer of 2016. The Senegalese made 269 appearances for the club, bagging 120 goals and 48 assists before leaving for Bayern Munich last year.

Mohamed Salah, meanwhile, has been equally impressive since arriving at Anfield from AS Roma back in July 2017. So far, he's bagged 196 goals and 83 assists in 320 games in all competitions.

It's worth noting that the Egyptian continues to be impactful for the Merseysiders. He already has 10 goals and five assists to his name in 15 appearances across all fronts this season and looks hungry for more.