LIVERPOOL: Jordan Henderson is confident Mohamed Salah will not be lured away from Anfield in the same manner the Egyptian was tempted from Roma last year.
Salah has surpassed all expectations since his then-club record €42 million ($52 million) move back to the Premier League last June and will face his old club in the first leg of Liverpool’s Champions League semifinal on Tuesday.
An incredible return of 41 goals in 46 appearances saw Salah crowned the Premier League Players’ Player of the Year on Sunday.
However, unlike Liverpool stars of recent seasons such as Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho, who were attracted by the glamor of a move to Barcelona, Henderson hopes Salah is convinced to stay by the growing momentum at Liverpool and the belief they can compete for major trophies under Jurgen Klopp.
“He’s a fantastic player, obviously he’s up there with the world’s best and there will be other clubs that want to take him away,” said Henderson.
“But he’s in a great place with a great set of lads, great team, with a great manager, going in the right direction. We want to create our own history here and I’m sure Mo will want to be part of that for many years to come.”
Roma co-owner James Pallotta recognized this week that Liverpool didn’t even have to beat off much competition to Salah’s signature, as he had only shown inconsistent flashes of his full potential in two years in the Italian capital.
Klopp is credited with finding the system to bring the best out of Salah.
And having led Liverpool back to the last four of the Champions League for the first time in a decade, Henderson said his team-mates feel “privileged” to work with the German.
“He’s one of the best managers in the world. First and foremost tactically it goes without question how knowledgeable he is within the game, you can see that in the performances, the style of play and how we play football,” he added.
“Off the field he’s a fantastic human. Very genuine, has a great passion for football and that transcends throughout the team.
“He always keeps you on your toes, always looking for more, he never wants the standards to drop no matter who we are playing. He’s an amazing manager and everybody in the squad feels privileged to be working with him.”
Roma have had to wait even longer for a European Cup semifinal with their last appearance coming 34 years ago when they beat Dundee United but went on to lose to Liverpool in the final.
The manner in which they reached the semifinals even outshone Liverpool’s 5-1 quarter-final thrashing of Premier League champions Manchester City as Roma came back from a 4-1 first leg deficit against Barcelona thanks to a 3-0 second leg victory masterminded by Roma’s own impressive coach in Eusebio Di Francesco.
But apart from their physical similarities, Di Francesco — who is making his debut as a coach in the Champions League this season — believes he has a long way to go to earn comparisons with Klopp.
“As Klopp mentioned there are similarities in that we both wear glasses and have a beard,” he joked. “But I very much like his outlook.
“I am concerned we play a team coached by such a great manager. Klopp has proved himself, has won already titles, but I have great ambitions.”
’Mohamed Salah is up there with the world’s best,’ says Liverpool skipper
’Mohamed Salah is up there with the world’s best,’ says Liverpool skipper
- Egyptian has scored 41 in 46 appearances
- Jordan Henderson feels top clubs will be looking to sign Salah
Real Madrid victory in Super Cup semi-final sets up fourth consecutive El Clásico in Saudi Arabia
- Early Valverde rocket set the tone for a physical encounter in front of a packed Al-Inma Stadium
- 55,651 fans attended the match, topping Barcelona-Athletic Bilbao’s crowd by more than 5,000
JEDDAH: While Wednesday saw a sea of blue and red take over Al-Inma Stadium, Thursday belonged almost entirely to the colour white. The second semi-final of the 2026 Spanish Super Cup pitted Madrid Derby rivals Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid against each other in a fiercely contested encounter that ignited within the opening two minutes and ended with a 2-1 victory to Real Madrid.
In the first minute of the game, Real Madrid won a free kick from a position that appeared harmless, but Federico Valverde had other ideas. The Uruguayan unleashed a thunderous long-range strike that flew into the net, sending the stadium into raptures almost immediately.
Despite the early breakthrough, Real Madrid did not dominate proceedings. Atlético controlled much of the shot count, pushing relentlessly as they attempted to overcome the forged “home” advantage enjoyed by their city rivals in Jeddah.
That advantage was not driven solely by Saudi supporters. Ahead of kick-off, official broadcaster Thmanyah Sports got hold of a Real Madrid fan from Iraq who praised the organisation of the event and thanked Saudi Arabia for providing fans from across the region the opportunity to watch their team live.
Atlético didn’t plan on sending those fans home with a smile. They forced Thibaut Courtois into action on multiple occasions, with his save from a corner mid-way into the first half proving key in preserving Real’s lead.
Real did get close to doubling their advantage in the 27th minute when Rodrygo found himself through on goal, executing a trademark Ronaldo chop to beat his marker before being denied by Jan Oblak.
Atlético resumed their push after the break. In the 49th minute, they looked to find Julián Álvarez with a dangerous cross, but Antonio Rüdiger reacted sharply to step in and clear.
Once again, it was Real Madrid’s individual quality that made the difference. Valverde split the defence with a perfectly weighted through ball, releasing Rodrygo, who calmly slotted past Oblak in the 55th minute.
Atlético responded with increased vigour almost immediately. A slick move down the right flank culminated in a cross from Giuliano Simeone, which Alexander Sørloth powered home beyond Raúl Asencio in the 58th minute to bring the contest back to life.
As Atlético pushed for an equaliser, the Real Madrid fans rallied behind their team with chants familiar to Jeddah. Borrowing from one of Al-Ahli’s most popular anthems — one that engulfed Middle Eastern football in recent years — the crowd sang in unison: “For Real we came, from every city.”
Atlético were not fazed, as they came agonisingly close to levelling soon after. Antoine Griezmann produced a spectacular overhead kick from close range, only for Courtois to make another vital save. Moments later, Marcos Llorente broke through on the right once more, but his effort drifted wide.
Llorente continued to threaten, curling another attempt — this time from outside the box — but once again failed to find the target as Atlético searched desperately for a way back into the game.
Ultimately, Real Madrid managed to emerge unscathed, as they held on for the 2-1 victory.
Sunday will see the Al-Inma Stadium host once again, as Barcelona and Real Madrid face off in the fourth consecutive El Clásico Spanish Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia. Barcelona won the first encounter in 2023, followed by a 4-1 victory by Real in 2024, before Barcelona rallied to a 5-2 victory in the 2025 edition.
