Liverpool star Mo Salah planning to part ways with Egypt football team over Ramzan Kadyrov controversy

Liverpool star player Mohamed Salah, often referred to as ‘The Pharoah’ by the press, is contemplating retiring from the Egyptian national football team. The reason is his displeasure with the way he’s been drawn into an unwanted political controversy during the Egypt football team’s stay in Chechnya in preparation for the World Cup.

On the personal front, Mohamed Salah is happily married and settled. He got married to Magi Salah in the year 2013. Both attended the same school as youngsters in the village of Basion Gharbia in Egypt. Unlike many celeb love stories that ended up in disaster, Mohamed Salah’s is going strong. He and Magi have a 4 year old daughter named Makka Mohamed Salah.

CNN broke the story

The story of him possibly parting ways with the Egypt football team was broken by CNN for the first time on Sunday, June 24. In a story published by them, it was reported that the Liverpool forward is in two minds whether to return to Egypt or not, after the ongoing FIFA World Cup.

Before the start of the tournament, he was pictured along with Ramzan Kadyrov, the controversial Chechen Republic leader, at the Egypt team’s base in Grozny. Upon their meeting, Kadyrov had declared Mohamed Salah as an honorary citizen of Chechenya, during a ceremony with the player.

Informing everyone through a social media post Kadyrov had stated, “Mohamed Salah is an honorary citizen of the Chechen Republic! That’s right! I gave Mohamed Salah a copy of the order and a pin at a celebratory dinner that I gave in honour of the Egyptian team.”

Ramzan Kadyrov has been leading Chechenya since the year 2004 and has always been known as a controversial figure worldwide. He is widely recognised for his hardline rule over Chechenyans. Apart from that, he has made several contentious comments especially against the LGBT community.

Egyptian FA plays down the controversy

CNN had reported that Mo Salah felt extremely uncomfortable about the way he was criticised after that photograph, and was unhappy about the way he was being exploited as a political pawn. A source close to him also acknowledged this fact that he’s considering his future with the Egyptian national team now. Salah has been constantly involved in various humanitarian efforts in his native country. A few months ago he donated £500,000 worth of medical equipment to a children’s cancer hospital in Cairo, Egypt.

The Egyptian FA has played down all such reports insisting that Mo Salah is happy in the Egypt camp and any such reports are nothing more than rumours. They stated that he’s been laughing and eating with his teammates and is training well with everyone.