LONDON: Jurgen Klopp insists Mohamed Salah won’t lose focus despite the increased demands on the Liverpool star at the climax of his record-breaking season.
Reds boss Klopp is frustrated that Salah had to fly to London to receive the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award on Thursday, just hours after being presented with Liverpool’s own Player of the Year prize.
Salah, who is also the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year, has not managed to add to his 43 goals this season in the last three matches and looked tired in Liverpool’s defeat at Chelsea on Sunday.
Liverpool need a point against Brighton on Sunday to seal the Premier League top four finish that guarantees entry into next season’s Champions League before turning their attention to the European Cup final against Real Madrid.
Salah is clearly the key to Liverpool’s success in those two crucial matches after scoring 43 goals in an astonishing first season following his move from Roma.
While Klopp admits Salah could have done without the additional non-football workload, he expects the Egypt winger to cope with the stress.
“It is quite difficult for a player because there are some many challenges constantly,” Klopp said on Friday.
“Yesterday we had our LFC Awards — good timing. The next challenge was the journalists (the FWA dinner).
“I know it was a very important award but to bring the boy again, on a Thursday night before the last game, to London to celebrate a party when we are not partying.
“It is not perfect and as a manager I would prefer he went home after work and put his legs up on the sofa watching a movie or going early to bed but he was early to bed, we organized it as good as possible.
“Problems are always problems if you are surprised and you think ‘Oh, I had no clue about that’.
“But it is perfectly planned always and the club is doing a world-class job in organizing everything so it is as smooth as possible.”
Klopp has tried to keep his players’ concentrated on the Brighton clash, but he acknowledged the awards season has become something of a distraction.
“You want to be really focused. The season now for most of the teams in the league is a nice time but for us it is work,” he said.
Mohamed Salah can cope with hectic schedule, says Jurgen Klopp
Mohamed Salah can cope with hectic schedule, says Jurgen Klopp
- Egyptian took a private jet to collect an award
- 'I would prefer he went home after work and put his legs up on the sofa'
Kuwait welcomes its new PFL MENA champion
- Mohammad Alaqraa, 25, hailed on return home after welterweight title win over Badreddine Diani in Alkhobar
DUBAI: On Dec.15 Mohammad Alaqraa touched down at Kuwait International Airport carrying something he had been chasing for years: the PFL MENA welterweight championship belt.
His arrival came just 10 days after a unanimous decision victory over Morocco’s Badreddine Diani at Dhahran Expo in Alkhobar, Saudi Arabia. It marked a significant milestone for the Kuwaiti fighter and the combat sports landscape in the Middle East.
Greeted at the airport by his father, brother, excited fans and media representatives, Alaqraa spoke about his plans.
“It’s been a long journey, thanks to everyone that came to the airport and past events. Just like I promised I’ll get the MENA championship, my goal is to raise Kuwait’s name in this sport (and) now I promise next time I’ll come back with a world title,” he said.
Alaqraa’s arrival became an impromptu celebration. Fans had phone cameras ready for selfies and videos as he emerged holding his belt.
The championship fight against Diani was a full five-round affair that showcased Alaqraa’s growth. The judges scored the bout 49-46, 48-47 and 48-47 in his favor. Alaqraa had established control through pressure wrestling, fence work, and a steady jab.
The win was sweet after losing by referee’s stoppage to Omar El-Dafrawy in the 2024 PFL MENA Finals.
Alaqraa defeated Omar Hussein and Ayman Galal en route to the 2025 finals, with his semifinal victory over Galal ending in just 21 seconds with an oblique kick, the fastest finish in PFL MENA history.
At 25 years old, Alaqraa now holds a 10-1 record in MMA. His background encompasses multiple martial arts disciplines developed since childhood. He holds a judo black belt and finished first in an International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation tournament before turning professional in 2021.
Since leaving Kuwait at 17 to pursue MMA, Alaqraa has trained at American Kickboxing Academy under head coach Javier Mendez, the gym that has produced champions including Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev.
Alaqraa graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in industrial systems engineering while developing his fighting career.
