MOHAMED SALAH JOINS LIVERPOOL SQUAD FOR MARSEILLE CLASH AFTER AFCON RETURN
Mohamed Salah returns to Liverpool’s lineup against Marseille. Arne Slot shuts down rift rumors and eyes the UCL knockouts.
Mohamed Salah looks set to jump straight back into Liverpool’s starting lineup against Marseille on Wednesday. Arne Slot made it clear he’s got no problems with the Egyptian forward.
Salah joined Liverpool training on Tuesday for the first time since coming back from the Africa Cup of Nations. His dream of winning a first continental title with Egypt ended in the semi-finals against Senegal, who went on to win it all. Before he left for Morocco, people were already questioning his Liverpool future. He’d accused the club of hanging him out to dry after some poor results, and his relationship with Slot seemed to be on the rocks.
No one really knows what’s next for Salah at Liverpool, but Slot insists there’s nothing personal going on from his side. He pretty much said Salah’s coming straight back into the squad for the Champions League clash in France. If Liverpool wins in Marseille, they’re through to the knockout rounds.
Slot explained, “There was one time I chose not to play Mo, and one time I didn’t take him to a game—the Inter match after his big interview. Every other match, he’s been in the squad. He was the first sub against Brighton. So for me, there’s never been an issue. First chance I get, he’s back in the squad. Check the lineup tomorrow if you still think there’s a problem.”
Since Slot first dropped Salah at West Ham, Liverpool have gone unbeaten in 12 games. Still, Slot admits they’ve missed Salah’s impact. “I’m really happy he’s back,” he said. “We’ve done alright without him—barely conceded and created a lot of chances. But when you’re creating that much, having Salah makes a difference.”
“There’s only one player who’s scored more for Liverpool, but I don’t think I can put Ian Rush out there anymore!” Slot joked. Roger Hunt actually scored more, too, though some of those were in Division Two. “It’s just good to have Mo back. Against Burnley, with all those chances and possession, you’d back Salah to score more.”
Ibrahima Konaté didn’t make the trip to Marseille because of a family issue. As for pressure, someone asked Slot if he feels it more now that Xabi Alonso is out of a job and if Alonso—a Liverpool favourite—has been in touch.
Slot laughed it off. “Yeah, he called me and said, ‘What do you think about the team? I’m taking over in six months. Can you fill me in?’ Maybe he takes over tomorrow. No, seriously, that’s one of the weirdest questions I’ve had. What’s there to say?”
“I’ve been here a bit over a year and a half, and I really enjoy the job. We won the league last season; this year’s been tougher, that’s clear. There’s not much else to add.”
ARSENAL POCKET INSANE £125.18M FOLLOWING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL QUALIFICATION
Mikel Arteta's side has added £15.97m to their cash reserves, eclipsing the total earned by current champions PSG last year.
Arsenal have added another £15.97 million to their UEFA prize money haul after securing a spot in the Champions League final with a win against Atletico Madrid. They are set to face either Bayern Munich or the current champions, Paris Saint-Germain, in Budapest on May 30, aiming for their first-ever triumph in this prestigious competition.
Beyond that, there’s an additional £5.61 million up for grabs in Hungary later this month. But up to now, Arsenal have amassed an eye-watering £125.18 million in Champions League prize money this season alone. A place in next season’s European Super Cup also carries a potential reward of around £3.45 million. It’s been a remarkable European run under Mikel Arteta, with the team dominating the group stage by winning all eight matches.
From the very beginning, the club benefited from the initial distribution of TV revenue and the rankings pool, which together amounted to £49.6 million. Even before the knockout rounds kicked off, Arsenal had already secured £85.3 million in prize money.
That total doesn’t even cover the bonuses linked to their on-field success, as each of their eight victories in the group stage brought in roughly £15.8 million altogether.
By finishing first out of 36 group-phase clubs, Arsenal earned an extra £8.6 million, and progressing straight to the round of 16 as one of the top eight teams secured them another £11.3 million.
They continued their strong run by eliminating Bayer Leverkusen after a 1-1 draw away and a 2-0 win at the Emirates, which added £10.8 million more to their earnings.
Overcoming Sporting CP in the quarter-finals also brought a £10.8 million bonus. While Arsenal’s motivation isn’t just financial, this level of income certainly aids in meeting profit and sustainability rules and other financial fair play criteria.
It’s also likely to support their summer transfer budget, as sporting director Andrea Berta looks to build on Arteta’s squad.
Last season, Arsenal took home £98.63 million after reaching the semi-finals before falling to PSG.
PSG, who went on to win the title, collected about £124.62 million last year, so Arsenal have now already surpassed that figure.
Meanwhile, UEFA has set aside a record £2.13 billion in prize money for the 2025-26 Champions League season, highlighting the competition’s growing financial stakes.
JAN OBLAK CONFESSES ATLETICO WERE "AFRAID TO PLAY" AGAINST ARSENAL
Following their Champions League exit, skipper Jan Oblak analysed where Atletico went wrong and paid tribute to Griezmann.
Jan Oblak didn’t hold back after Atletico Madrid crashed out of the Champions League against Arsenal. He said straight up that the team just didn’t do enough to earn a spot in the final. Sure, he’s proud of how far the squad has come recently, but the way they went out still stings.
Oblak was pretty open about where things went wrong, especially after the first leg, when Atletico failed to take an advantage back to London. “I'm disappointed, just like all the fans. Honestly, I can’t find the words. We didn’t do enough to be in the final, and it’s just a tough moment. We had our chances to win, but we didn’t take them. All that’s left is to congratulate Arsenal.”
He didn’t stop there, either. Speaking to CBS Golazo, Oblak was even more direct about the team’s mentality, especially in the first half of both matches. He felt Atletico were hesitant, too respectful of Arsenal, and afraid to play. Both times, they fell behind before halftime and then tried to play catch-up, but it was always a little too late. “This has happened several times this season,” Oblak said, “and while we’ve managed to win those games before, not today when it mattered most.”
On the flip side, Oblak did give some credit to the young players and the growth the team’s shown, especially after a couple of big summers that saw a huge part of the squad change. “The last two seasons, we’ve switched out something like 15 players. A lot of young guys with not much experience came in. They did great in the cup, and they’ve held up in the Champions League too. In the league, we weren’t good enough for the biggest matches, but I’m proud of how the younger ones are growing. Still, when the goal is to win a title, and you don’t, you can’t call it a success. All we can do is look forward and hope we’ll be fighting for trophies next season.”
Saying goodbye to Antoine Griezmann made this exit even sadder for Oblak and the rest of the squad. Griezmann’s heading to Orlando City this summer, bringing the curtain down on his Champions League career with Atletico. “Everyone’s going to miss Griezi; he’s an incredible player and a great guy. The kind of person who’s always smiling, always positive, and does things on the pitch nobody else can. We’ll miss him a lot; the fans will miss him, but he deserves nothing but the best wherever he goes.”
At 33, Oblak is one of Atletico’s true leaders, right behind Koke for the captain’s armband. Alongside Jose Maria Gimenez and Marcos Llorente, he’s been a
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