The build-up for this weekend’s Champions League final rumbles on. Fans of Spanish footballing royalty Real Madrid & legendary English club Liverpool are nervously anticipating the final clash, which will take place at the Stade de France in Paris.
The fixture is a rematch of both the 1981 European Cup final, which also took place in France at the Parc des Princes. It is also a rematch of the 2018 Champions League final, which took place in Kyiv. Real Madrid won the most recent of these clashes, 3-1 in the now war-torn country of Ukraine. Liverpool won the 1981 version of this match. Liverpool remains the last club to defeat Real Madrid in a European competition final.
Both clubs have had tremendous seasons. Real Madrid won the Spanish first division title, finishing a comfortable 13 points ahead of fierce rivals Barcelona. Liverpool didn’t win their domestic division, but amassed an incredible 92 points. They fell short of champions Manchester City by a single point. They did, however, pick up a domestic cup double.
SALAH CONTRACT SAGA
One storyline that has been constant this season for Jurgen Klopp’s side has been the contract situation of Egyptian star Mohamed Salah. The star forward’s deal expires in a little over twelve months.
Liverpool fears that Salah could leave the club for nothing at the beginning of 2023 if a new deal cannot be agreed upon.
Both club and player (and agent) have been locked in negotiations for some time now, with an agreement nowhere to be seen. Both parties consider the talks ‘ongoing’, and there is hope that a deal can be agreed upon sooner rather than later.
The 29-year-old has starred for the Reds this season. Salah has had 47 score involvements in 50 appearances this season (31 goals, 16 assists). At the end of the 2021/22 season, he led both the goal-scoring charts and assists charts in the Premier League.
Those numbers ensured he would pick up his first EPL playmaker of the season award, alongside his third EPL golden boot award. His third golden boot puts him in an elite company alongside Englishmen Alan Shearer and Harry Kane.
Salah has an average of 0.87 score involvements per game since moving to Merseyside. A simply incredible number.
Questions have been asked whether the Egyptian should get a new deal at Liverpool. He is moving toward his 30th birthday, and his wage demands apparently threaten to smash the heavily structured wage budget on Merseyside. To complicate matters, both Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have contracts that expire simultaneously.
SALAH & MANE BOTH COMMENT ON LIVERPOOL FUTURE
It is interesting that both players have spoken about their contract situations in the build-up to the biggest match of the season. And they have given contrasting responses regarding their Liverpool futures. Mohamed Salah committed to playing at Liverpool next season, but stopped short of confirming he would sign a new deal.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reported these comments from the Liverpool goal machine:
“I am staying next season for sure, that is clear. In my mind, I don’t focus on the contract at the moment. I said two months ago it’s about the team now, an important week for us. Winning the trophy is the only important thing, and I want to see Hendo having the trophy in his hands.”
Hot on the heels of that monumental news, Liverpool’s Sadio Mane made a non-committal answer to the question of a new Liverpool contract. He didn’t say a new deal was impossible, but he made these ominous comments to Sky Sports News when asked about his future at the club:
“For sure, it will be special to win it and make it seven…and this question (regarding his future) I will answer after the Champions League…I’m going to answer after the Champions League.”
Liverpool will loathe losing either of the two attackers that have been so central to their recent successes. And while these statements don’t tell us too much, it is becoming more and more unlikely that the Reds can retain both superstars.
Stuart Kavanagh is a sports journalist from Melbourne, Australia. Along with being the owner of the sports and entertainment website thepyrrhic.com, he is the co-host of the ‘After Extra Time’ podcast. Football mad, he is always down for debate and discussion at @stueyissickofit on Twitter.
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