Egyptians boycott Liverpool matches over Salah benching

• Mohamed Salah’s absence from Liverpool matches has driven Egyptian fans away from local cafés
• Superstar says he was “thrown under the bus” after being benched for three straight games
• Fans in Cairo say it may be “time to leave” Liverpool

In a once-packed café in Cairo’s Shoubra district, Liverpool matches barely draw a glance. With Mohamed Salah off the pitch, crowds that once crammed in for every touch of the Egyptian star now prefer cards or scrolling their phones.

Salah stunned supporters this week after sharply criticizing manager Arne Slot for leaving him on the bench for three consecutive matches. He told reporters he had been “thrown under the bus,” a rare outburst from a player revered across Egypt.

In the café, the reaction was immediate. “We’re upset, of course,” said Adel Samy, forty, who remembers fans spilling into the street whenever Salah played. On Tuesday, during Liverpool’s Champions League match with Inter Milan, only a few customers sat at worn tables, barely noticing the screen. “He doesn’t deserve what’s happening,” Samy said.

Islam Hosny, who helps run the café, said the place used to be as crowded as an Ahly-Zamalek derby whenever Salah was on the field. “Now because they know he’s not playing, no one comes,” he said. One customer even asked staff to switch to another match.

- A season of struggle and rising tension -

Salah has been central to Liverpool’s modern success, delivering Premier League and Champions League titles and scoring 250 goals in 420 appearances to become the club’s third-highest scorer.

But this season has been difficult. He has scored five goals in nineteen matches, and Liverpool’s form has dipped sharply. The team has won five of its last sixteen games and holds twelve points in the Champions League.

For many fans in Cairo, the decision to bench him is unthinkable. “How can a player like Mohamed Salah sit on the bench for so long?” said Shady Hany, eighteen. “It is time for Salah to leave.” Others compared his slump to brief downturns by Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, arguing star players still get minutes even when struggling.

Slot said Monday he had “no clue” whether Salah would play again for Liverpool.

- Future unclear as Saudi clubs circle -

Salah is set to join Egypt’s national team for the Africa Cup of Nations after Liverpool’s match against Brighton. His contract runs for eighteen more months at 400,000 pounds (USD 535,378) a week.

Saudi clubs remain eager to sign him, according to a Public Investment Fund source. Al-Ittihad, which had a 150-million-pound (USD 201 million) bid rejected two years ago, and Al-Hilal are monitoring developments, while Al Qadsiah has also shown interest.

Still, Egyptian analyst Hassan Khalafallah believes Salah’s decisions are driven by ambition, not money. “If he cared that much about money, he would have accepted earlier offers from Gulf clubs,” he said. “What matters to Salah is his career and his legacy.”

Salah’s path from the village of Nagrig to global stardom continues to inspire Egyptians. Many believe he still has more to offer. “Salah deserves more,” Hany said. “He still has so much ahead of him.”