Mohamed Salah has revealed who he considers to be the best coach he has ever worked with – surprisingly, it is not Jürgen Klopp, under whom he reached his absolute peak at Liverpool. The player also answered who is the toughest opponent he has faced, and who he thinks is Africa’s best player of all time in an interview.
Having played for clubs such as Al-Mokawloon, Basel, Chelsea, Fiorentina, Roma and Liverpool, as well as the Egyptian national team, Salah has worked with a number of managers throughout his career. Nevertheless, it is the Italian coach Luciano Spalletti who gets his highest praise.
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The two worked together at Roma between 2015 and 2016, and Salah expressed how important Spalletti was to his development.
“I improved significantly under him, both tactically and mentally. He gave me the opportunity to express my talent and grow as a player,” he said in an interview with France Football. (who is behind the Ballon d’Or award)
After his time at Roma, Spalletti led Inter Milan and Napoli, where he won the Serie A title in 2023. He later took over the Italian national team, but was dismissed in June 2025 after a less successful period.
Salah’s best years under Klopp
Salah joined Liverpool in 2017 after his stay in Italy, where he met Jürgen Klopp. Under the German coach’s leadership, Salah experienced the most successful period of his career, with numerous team trophies and individual accolades.
He won the Premier League’s Golden Boot in the 2017/18, 2018/19, 2021/22 and 2024/25 seasons, becoming Liverpool’s all-time top scorer in the English league.
His trophy harvest under Klopp includes:
- Champions League 2018/19
- UEFA Super Cup 2019
- FIFA Club World Cup 2019
- 2019/20 Premier League title
- League Cups in 2021/22 and 2023/24
- FA Cup 2021/22
- Community Shield 2022
Despite their success, tensions emerged between the two in 2024, after a heated exchange on the pitch. Klopp left the club a few months later, and Arne Slot was appointed as the new Liverpool manager.
Salah also reflects on toughest opponent and biggest win
When asked about the toughest defender he has faced, Salah named Sergio Ramos, referring to their clash in the 2018 Champions League final. A hard tackle from Ramos led to an injury that kept Salah out of the final and ruined his preparations for the World Cup that year.
As for the biggest achievement of his career, Salah pointed to the Champions League victory.
He also named the best African footballers of all time, including George Weah, Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o, while he himself modestly placed himself among the continent’s very best.
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