Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has said he is “devastated” after the club failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2016.
Manchester United’s 4-1 win over Chelsea on Thursday night confirmed Liverpool’s fate, leaving them fifth in the Premier League table.
Salah, who has scored 30 goals in all competitions this season, said he was “totally devastated” and that the club had “no excuse” for their failure to qualify for Europe’s top club competition.
“We had everything we needed to make it to next year’s Champions League and we failed, We are Liverpool and qualifying to the competition is the bare minimum,” the Egyptian international wrote on Twitter.
“I am sorry but it’s too soon for an uplifting or optimistic post. We let you and ourselves down.” Salah added.
I’m totally devastated. There’s absolutely no excuse for this. We had everything we needed to make it to next year’s Champions League and we failed. We are Liverpool and qualifying to the competition is the bare minimum. I am sorry but it’s too soon for an uplifting or optimistic… pic.twitter.com/qZmA9WsueM
— Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) May 25, 2023Salah’s comments were echoed by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who said the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League was “a big disappointment.”
“We are not happy, We had the chance to qualify for the Champions League and we didn’t take it. That’s a big disappointment,” Klopp said.
Liverpool’s failure to qualify for the Champions League is a major setback for the club, which have won the Premier League and Champions League in the past four years.
In the meantime, Salah will be looking to add to his goal tally when Liverpool take on Southampton on Sunday.
If he scores, The 30-year-old will become the first Liverpool player since Roger Hunt in 1965-66 to score 20 league goals and provide 10 assists in a season for three consecutive seasons, eclipsing the record he currently shares with Thierry Henry.
