Champions League final: Salah vows revenge, Klopp contradicts him

Liverpool FC will get a chance to redeem themselves against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final in Paris on Saturday. Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been very vocal about seeking "revenge" against Los Blancos, but his manager Jurgen Klopp says he is not holding any grudges.

It may be remembered that Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 in the 2018 final in Kyiv, where Salah was forced off in the first half of the match after suffering a shoulder injury. The Egyptian was seen in tears as he left the pitch in pain following a clash with Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos.

Ever since Liverpool booked their seat to the final again this season, Salah had been talking about getting revenge over Los Blancos at the Stade de France. He spoke to the press on Wednesday and repeated his sentiments. "I'm very motivated after what happened with Real Madrid last time," he said, as quoted by Marca.

He also pointed out that the Reds are determined to win the Champions League after narrowly missing out on this season's Premier League title against Manchester City. "After what happened on Sunday, everyone is motivated to win the Champions League. Everybody is excited for it."

Meanwhile, manager Jurgen Klopp was singing a different tune. While he is also determined to win, he claims that his mind is no longer lingering on what took place in 2018. He also said that the Premier League loss is no longer weighing down on him and his players.

"It is a Champions League final, so we see that and nobody feels the pain from Sunday anymore," he said, contrary to Salah's comments. As for the striker's desire to seek revenge, the coach said: "I don't believe in revenge. I understand it as well, it's just I don't think revenge is a fantastic idea."

He then acknowledged the fact that they will be going up against perhaps the toughest possible opponent on Saturday. Real Madrid is the most successful team in Champions League history by a long shot, having won the title 13 times.

"We are really just looking forward to this game against an incredibly strong opponent, the most experienced opponent you can probably get in this competition," said Klopp.

"You never know how often you will reach a Champions League final, so you better use the few opportunities you get," he added. Of course, Liverpool have also proven themselves to be formidable on the European stage, having reached the final three times in five years and winning it in 2019.

Klopp then made a slight dig at other clubs like PSG, who had been openly making huge moves in the transfer market to aid their mission to secure their first UCL trophy. "It feels better to know you have won it already than to know you never won it before," he said.