EPL: Never best friends – Firmino finally reveals why Mane, Salah fought at Liverpool

Al-Ahli Forward, Roberto Firmino has opened up on the feud between Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

According to the Brazilian, it was the “worst-kept secret in Liverpool”.

Firmino played with both Salah and Mane during his time at Anfield, where they won the Champions League and Premier League titles together.

While the trio formed one of the most devastating attacking units in world football, they did not always see eye to eye.

There was a particular incident in 2019, where Mane was seen fuming on the bench after Salah failed to pass the ball to him for a simple tap-in.

In his new book ‘Si Senor: My Liverpool Years’, Firmino wrote: “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.”

Firmino added: “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. I truly don’t know.

“But they also never stopped talking, never severed ties. They always acted with the utmost professionalism. I never took sides. That’s why they love me: I always passed the ball to both; my preference was for the team’s victory.

“Everyone, including the other players, knew that’s how it worked. It was the worst-kept secret in Liverpool – naturally, no one ever asked what I thought or how I felt. That’s just my nature; the team comes first. The boss knew it.”