Fear and loathing in Egypt! - Unity in love for Salah, hatred for Ramos
Published:Sunday | May 27, 2018 | 12:00 AM
CAIRO (AP):
A heartbroken Egypt shared a rare moment of unity yesterday: An outpouring of sympathy and love for Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and loathing for Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos. The defender was accused by many Egyptian fans in the football-crazy nation of deliberately injuring Salah in the UEFA Champions League final.
The Egypt forward was hurt Saturday when he tangled with Ramos, who grabbed Salah chasing the ball and held on to his right arm. In their twisting fall, Salah landed heavily on his left shoulder and exited the match in Kiev, Ukraine, after just 30 minutes. Ramos, the Madrid captain, was not shown a yellow card, and the Spanish powerhouse went on to win 3-1 for its third successive Champions League title.
"Despite the odds, I'm confident that I'll be in Russia (at the FIFA World Cup) to make you all proud. Your love and support will give me the strength I need," Salah told fans in a tweet Sunday night.
Ramos may have escaped punishment in Kiev, but it came swiftly in Egypt, where Salah's fans took to social media to vent their frustration, using the Arabic language's rich repertoire of expletives to insult the Madrid veteran. Some offered prayers, seeking divine intervention to exact revenge on the Spanish international.
"This isn't football, this is wrestling. You're the world's dirtiest player," a Salah fan claimed in a tweet addressed to Ramos.
In contrast, expressions of sympathy and support for Salah came from thousands of ordinary Egyptians, celebrities and the country's president.
"My heartfelt wishes for the Egyptian hero Mohamed Salah to recover from his injury, and I hope he will return to the field soon and remain a shining Egyptian star," President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi tweeted.
"No matter what happens, we love you, and you'll never walk alone," a Salah fan wrote on Twitter, playing on Liverpool's storied motto. Another one said: "Though you weren't there to win the match, you definitely won our hearts. We love you."