Mohamed Zidan: The English media's attack on Mohamed Salah is "exaggerated and unfair"

Mohamed Zidan, the star of Borussia Dortmund and former Egyptian national team player, described the attack by the English media on his compatriot Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool star, as "exaggerated and unfair," justifying that the decline in performance includes the entire team and not just the player.

Zidan's statements came during the difficult phase Liverpool is going through, the reigning Premier League champions, who have dropped to third place in the league with 19 points, 6 points behind the leaders Arsenal, after losing 4 matches in the first 10 rounds, on the eve of the team's crucial match against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

In statements to the media, Zidan defended Salah, saying: "I see that there is a great exaggeration from the media in England in attacking Salah; everyone recognizes what he has achieved over the past years, and he will remain for us a great source of pride for his accomplishments."

He added: "What the English media is doing now by intensifying the attack on him is unnatural and completely illogical, after all he has accomplished in terms of numbers and performance."

Regarding the focus of criticism on Salah, especially from stars like Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney, Zidan clarified that the problem is collective: "We cannot reduce Liverpool's problems to Salah alone. Liverpool as a team has not been performing well recently, and it is not just Salah who has seen a decline in his level, so it is not fair to place all the responsibility on him."

However, he pointed out that this criticism is part of the player's status, saying: "Blaming Salah alone is unfair, but at the same time, this is part of the burden that a player of his size and value carries. From my perspective, Salah has a very strong personality that enables him to handle the pressures."

Regarding the advice he gives to his former national team colleague, Zidan said: "He does not need advice because he is already doing what I want to tell him; he should completely ignore the English media's attack and not pay attention to the pressures or criticisms."

Confirming that Salah's reaction is always on the pitch: "A player of his caliber has reached a stage where he is accustomed to dealing with such atmospheres; he does not even see such criticisms. His response is always on the field, as he did in the last match when he scored against Aston Villa."

Zidan, who has played 41 international matches for Egypt, concluded his statement by confirming that Salah has surpassed the stage of proving himself: "Salah does not need opportunities to prove himself. Every goal he scores or assists is a practical response to all the doubters. A player of his size and history and all that he has achieved in terms of numbers and goals does not need to prove anything to anyone."

It is worth noting that Mohamed Salah, who led Liverpool to win the Premier League twice and the Champions League since joining in 2017, has scored only 4 goals in the league so far this season in 10 matches.