Mohamed Salah has diagnosed with COVID-19 after attending a wedding and has drawn widespread criticism.
In an unprecedented tirade former Egypt forward Mido slammed Mohamed Salah and blamed the Liverpool star for contracting COVID-19 and branded the national team’s administration “cowards” for helping the player’s obvious incompetence.
Now Mido, himself a controversial figure during his playing days, has blasted Salah and the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) for allowing the situation to emerge in the first place, including his former teammate Mohamed Barakat, now the national team manager.
“I know I may be under attack after my next talk, but it has to be. Mohamed Salah made a big mistake by attending his brother’s wedding a few days before the Egyptian national team match,” the former Tottenham, Ajax and Roma striker told Al-Nahar TV. “He showed great negligence with the steps taken to prevent coronavirus, and the result was that he was infected.”
“The neglect of Mohamed Salah caused the Egyptian team to lose an important player in a very important match and time, and he also risked the health of his team-mates. He should not have been present at his brother’s wedding, especially at that time.”
“The other point here is the silence of all those responsible for the player’s negligence, which confirms the fact that the player is still bigger than the national team and this will lead to a great failure.”
“When I missed the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, I was punished by missing the final and being excluded from the national team for six months, even if I played [at club level].”
“The final we lost, I was young and I thought I was bigger than the team, but I confirm now that no one is bigger than the team, and if someone thinks this, this will be a great failure.”
“Officials in Egypt did not direct any word of blame or reproach to Mohamed Salah and the harm caused by his negligence to the Egyptian team, and I name each of the ministers of sports Ashraf Sobhi, chairman of the EFA Amr Al-Ganayni, the coach of the national team Hossam Al-Badri, and the national team director Mohamed Barakat, all are cowards and fear Mohamed Salah fans who love the Liverpool star.”
“But here I am speaking without calculations or fear of anyone. No one can say that Salah did not make a mistake by going to his brother’s wedding at that difficult time and in light of the coronavirus crisis.”
“All the English newspapers speak against us negatively, Salah should have been blamed for what he did, but everyone feels fear.”
