Egyptian legend Mido explains why Mohamed Salah is not in the same league as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when it comes to leadership.
The Liverpool striker is his country’s biggest star and wears the armband at international level. He was unable to inspire the Pharaohs to achieve tangible success, unlike multiple Ballon d’Or winners Messi and Ronaldo, who won the Copa América, World Cup and European Championship respectively.
The former Premier League star has regularly criticized Salah, questioning his decision to return to Anfield after picking up an injury at the last Africa Cup of Nations. He explained to The Untold podcast why Egypt’s icon is no match for the greatest players of all time: “ Is Messi the leader of Argentina like Salah is the leader of Egypt? Salah is Egypt’s star, but is what he is doing with the national team similar to what Messi is doing with Argentina? Is Salah doing what Ronaldo is doing with Portugal? He directs the players during penalties, says who will shoot and who will follow, and imposes his personality on everyone. Salah has evolved mentally, but he has never been a leader on the pitch, the proof is that he did not have the captain’s armband at Liverpool. »
Mido without pity
“Don’t say it’s because he’s a foreign player, because that’s not a factor in English football, and there’s plenty of evidence. Salah was negatively affected by becoming Egypt’s captain. He would have had more freedom and less pressure if he had remained without this armband.”
Mido continues: “ Some may accuse me of jealousy towards Salah, but I cannot imagine Ahmed Fathi, with his value and his great history, giving up the captain’s armband for Salah. It’s as if Hossam Hassan gave up his role as captain for Ahmed Hassan. It’s hard to believe. These are red lines and a change in traditions followed for years, and comparisons should not be made with the cases of Messi and Ronaldo because the situation is completely different. Both men have completely different personalities and mentalities than Salah. If Salah was the captain of Liverpool, he would not have produced the same performance. He is one of those players who finds it difficult to carry the burden of captaincy. Salah cannot wear the captain’s armband with Mohamed El-Shenawy and Ahmed Hegazi on the pitch. Hegazi, in fact, is the captain of Ittihad Jeddah, one of the oldest clubs in Saudi Arabia.
