The fallout from Mohamed Salah’s explosive outburst at Leeds United continues with the legendary Ruud Gullit now having his say
15:19, 11 Dec 2025Updated 15:20, 11 Dec 2025
Ruud Gullit has waded into the debate over Mohamed Salah’s explosive Liverpool interview(Image: Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Legendary Netherlands international Ruud Gullit says Mohamed Salah should have stayed private with his frustrations at Liverpool – after an explosive interview where he accused the club of being “thrown under the bus”.
Salah spoke to a handful of reporters after the 3-3 draw with Leeds United on Saturday after he was an unused substitute for the second time in three game. The Egyptian publicly criticised the club and head coach Arne Slot, who he claims he now has no relationship with.
The remarkable seven-and-a-half minute exchange with journalists at Elland Road led to him being left out of Tuesday night’s 1-0 win at Inter in the Champions League and it is unclear at this stage if the third highest goalscorer in Anfield history will feature when the Reds host Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon.
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That fixture is the final one before Salah departs for the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt and, while Liverpool remain insistent there are no plans to discuss selling their No.11, he has been linked with the Saudi Pro League as the fallout from his broadside continues.
Speaking on beIN Sports’ coverage of the Champions League on Wednesday night, the iconic Gullit, who won two European Cups and three Serie A titles in one of the great AC Milan eras of the late 1980s and early 90s, said Salah should have kept quiet and worked out his differences behind the scenes.
“What is the motivation for it?” Gullit asked. “You want to leave? Look, the point is this…I have been in the same situation as him with Milan. Same situation.
“I didn’t play in a Champions League final against Marseille, nothing. I didn’t say anything.
“Why? Because my team still has to play. Still the players have to play, so I have to keep my mouth shut for them.
“That is the wrong thing [what Salah did], you should keep it to yourself and then you have to deal with it. Not with the press, not before a match (Inter) that is very important to everyone.”
Responding to host Richard Keys’ suggestion that Salah had “earned the right” to speak his mind, the former Milan star said: “No, no, no! Did he play well the last couple of weeks? He’s been awful, he plays awful.
“He didn’t play well for a reason and the only thing, in the studio here, they all defended Mo Salah and it was not the right thing to do. It was not. Especially when you don’t play well.
“Now, if the team is playing well without Mo Salah, your trumps are over.
“Why wasn’t he playing well? I don’t know, you would have to ask him.”
Salah, who has scored 250 goals in 420 games for the Reds, had started 53 consecutive Premier League fixtures prior to being dropped for the recent 2-0 win over West Ham United.
He was then kept on the bench for the draws with Sunderland Leeds United, emerging as a half-time substitute in the former.