Courtesy: Liverpool FC
Liverpool’s Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah is expecting an emotional-filled clash when his side meets Italian club AS Roma in the first leg of the semi-final tie of the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
Salah spent two seasons with Roma before joining Liverpool in the summer, going on to have a dream debut season with the Reds.
The 25-year-old says he still keeps in touch with his former teammates from Italy, and he says it will be difficult facing them as opponents.
“It comes with more emotion. Every day I am talking to the players, yesterday I was talking to [Francesco] Totti,” Sky football quotes Salah.
“It’s not easy for me, I love the club, love the city, and I know they love me, so it’s not going to be easy for me. It’s more emotions,” he added.
The Egyptian has capped an already incredible season with the Merseyside club with a PFA Player of the Year award, beating off Manchester City’s Kevin de Bryune.
Salah says the Tuesday night game will be a tough one for him, having been with Roma less than a year ago.
“I know them, we played together for two years, they know how I play, I know how they play, it’s not going to be an easy game at all… I was fighting for the club for two years and now eight months later have to go back!”
Earlier this month, Salah – asked whether he preferred the Golden Boot or the Champions League – said he preferred to lift the latter over individual awards.
Queried again if this remains his stand, Salah said nothing had changed.
“100 per cent. It’s different, it’s something where you say: ‘Wow’. Winning the Champions League would be amazing for the city, the fans, the fans around the world. I can’t even compare between individual awards and the Champions League. No way.”
Should Liverpool win the two-legged tie, they’ll face the victor from the second semi-final clash which pits defending Champions Real Madrid against Bundesliga winner’s Bayern Munich.
