Alisson has shared the pitch with Salah more times than anyone else in his professional career. The two shared the pitch at Roma before both moving to Liverpool.
It means the Brazilian understands the Egyptian better than most after the bombastic comments he made after the 3-3 draw at Leeds.
As the chosen player to speak to the press on the eve of Liverpool’s meeting with Inter, Alisson expected the series of questions and navigated the difficult circumstances brilliantly.
In the locker room he said they are “as good as we can be. I think all the players will have different thoughts about the situation, that’s okay.
“We know the challenges we face at the moment: not performing well, not getting good results, that’s hard enough for us. These are big challenges.
“So it doesn’t really matter how we feel personally, but tomorrow we will give an appropriate response to the situation and [give] the respect for Inter Milan.”
Alisson feels disrespected
Wayne Rooney’s take on Salah’s comments was that he had no respect for his teammates, but Alisson claims that is not the case, at least not for him.
“No [I don’t feel disrespected]. I don’t believe that is his goal, to disrespect anyone,” the Brazilian said.
“I believe he has the freedom to speak, to talk about how he feels, about his own situation. What we expect is a player who wants to play, who doesn’t feel comfortable on the bench.”
“Again: you have the freedom to speak, but you have to bear the consequences. I think that is clear.
“As a team it is not important how we feel, what is important is how we are going to react now. The response is to stick together and work hard to overcome a bad situation.”
“It’s not just about Mo, it’s about the team, it’s about what’s best for the club.”
Alisson “hopes” Mo Salah will play for Liverpool again
Arne Slot was unconvincing when he said there is “always a possibility for a player to return”, but Alisson hopes this will be the case.
“I don’t think anything, but I hope he plays for the club again,” he said. “That is a personal situation between Mo and the club.
“We, as his teammates and his friends, hope that the best happens for him. But as players of Liverpool FC we also want the best for the club, we want a win-win situation for everyone.”
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