Mohamed Salah has rejected Pep Guardiola’s claim that it is “much more important” to win the Premier League than the Champions League.
Liverpool forward Salah scored the Reds’ opening goal from the penalty spot as they beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in Madrid in June, securing the club’s sixth European Cup/Champions League crown.
But they were unable to complete a double success last season despite amassing 97 points in the Premier League, falling just one point short of Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Earlier this month Guardiola – who won two Champions Leagues with Barcelona but has been unable to lead City or previous club Bayern Munich to European football’s top title – likened Liverpool’s victory to a lucky spin of a roulette wheel.
(Image: West Ham United FC via Getty Ima)
“Of course we have to win in Europe because it’s an important tournament and difficult to win,” said Guardiola.
“But I am not going to go to the casino and gamble everything I have in my pocket on just seven games.
“I want to be happy for 11 months – and winning the Premier League makes me happy.
“The Champions League is seven games, you can win the Champions League but the league is every three days in the same month.
“I’m sorry but it’s much more important what these guys have done the whole season.”
(Image: Andrew Powell)
However Salah, who will line up in the European Super Cup for the Reds on Wednesday night, says Guardiola would take European success over domestic if he had the choice.
“Honestly, I didn’t know that he [Guardiola] said that, but I think if you give him a choice to choose which one, he would choose the Champions League,” Salah told CNN.
“That’s my opinion. I’m not talking about him, but my opinion. It’s the biggest competition in football, so everyone wants to win it.
(Image: Getty Images)
“Every coach, every player wants to win it, dreams of winning it. So, of course, the Premier League also is something big, but still the Champions League is the biggest competition.”
“It’s a dream for everyone, the city, the players, to win a Champions League is something so great and something very big.
“So everyone was having that special moment. I was feeling like a kid whose dream comes true.”
