Mohamed Salah faces fresh row with Egypt FA over Olympics selection

The Egyptian FA faces a fresh row with star player Mohamed Salah after his agent claimed no decision had been made about him representing the national team at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Egypt confirmed their plans to name the Liverpool star  in their squad this summer.

Under 23 coach Shawky Gharib has said Salah will be one of three senior stars named in their squad for the prestigious event. But Salah’s agent Ramy Abbas Issa has since insisted on social media that ‘no decision’ has been made on his involvement.   

Egypt have confirmed they plan to call up star man Salah to their squad for the 2020 Olympics

Salah’s agent Ramy Abbas Issa (right) has denied that a decision on inclusion has been made

News of Egypt’s desire to include Salah will come as a blow to Jurgen Klopp as the German wanted one of his star players with him during pre-season. The football tournament at the Olympics will run from July 22 to August 8, the same day the 2020-21 Premier League season is due to kick off. 

Gharib, speaking to ON Sport, said of Salah: ‘Out of the three senior players we’ll call-up, Salah is the only one we’re settled on so far because he’s simply one of the top three players in the world.

‘I haven’t talked to Salah at all about him joining the U-23 squad for the Olympics, but in all honesty, his participation in the Olympics will need a little effort from him as well.’

In response to the story of Egypt’s plan to call him up, Issa simply tweeted:  ‘No decision has been made yet.’

Salah is likely to miss the start of next season if he does decide to represent his country at the Olympics as he will need a break before returning to action for Liverpool. 

Klopp previously said of the possibility of Salah going to the Olympics: ‘No decision made yet. What I have to say to him I will say it to Mo [Salah], so that is all.

Jurgen Klopp will not be pleased as Salah will miss pre-season and the start of next season

‘Neither side has made a decision. I wish we could have whole squad together for pre-season but that is not possible for different reasons. Olympics is a wonderful thing but it would not be too cool. No decision made yet.’

There have been a number of incidents which have caused tension between Salah and the Egyptian FA in the last 12 months.  

Back in April 2019, Salah won a dispute against the FA having expressed his ongoing unhappiness at his image being used so prominently on the outside of the national team’s plane.

The Liverpool attacker and the FA were then involved in a furious stand-off last summer after they rejected his demand for more protection from fans while representing the national team. 

Fresh controversy emerged in September after it appeared the Egyptian FA failed to vote in FIFA’s Best awards. 

Salah, who finished fourth in the men’s Best Player award, raised alarms of a possible withdrawal from Egypt’s team after removing all references on his social media accounts at the time.

Salah has been involved in multiple rows with the Egyptian FA during the last 12 months

A major investigation was undertaken in Egypt after captain Ahmed Elmohamady and Olympic team coach Shawky Ghareeb revealed they had voted for Salah, but they were not registered towards the count.

That raised fears that Salah could cut all ties with the Egyptian FA and the national team but the desire to include him in the Olympic squad suggest relations have eased in recent months.  

Salah and his Liverpool team-mates return to Premier League action following their winter break on Saturday evening when they face Norwich at Carrow Road. 

Klopp’s side will look to continue their invincibility as they edge closer to clinching their first top-flight title in 30 years.