The Reds forward is having to self-isolate, forcing him to sit out important games for club and country, and has seen his actions questioned
Mohamed Salah has been slammed for contracting Covid-19 at his brother’s wedding, with Mido accusing the so-called “cowards” in the Egypt national team camp of allowing fear of the Liverpool star’s status to influence their actions.
The 28-year-old forward is having to sit out important games for his country after testing positive for coronavirus, with it possible that he could also miss crunch clashes for his club in the Premier League.
Mido is bemused as to how such a situation has come to pass, with Salah mixing with hundreds of well-wishers during a ceremony in Cairo despite social distancing measures being in place throughout the world.
Egypt and Liverpool are now counting the cost of those decisions, with a talismanic figure at Anfield and those charged with the task of managing his career criticised for their handling of the situation.
Former Ajax and Tottenham striker Mido told Al-Nahar TV: “I know I may be under attack after my next comments, but it has to be that way.
“Mohamed Salah made a big mistake by attending his brother's wedding a few days before the Egyptian national team match, he showed great negligence with the steps taken to prevent the coronavirus and the result was that he was infected.
“The neglect of Mohamed Salah caused the Egyptian team to lose an important player in a very important match and time, and he also risked the health of his team-mates.
"He should not have been present at his brother's wedding, especially at that time. The wedding included more than 800 people, and half of them accepted to embrace and kiss Salah.
“The other point here is the silence of all those responsible for the player's negligence, which confirms the fact that the player is still bigger than the national team and this will lead to a great failure.
“When I missed the 2006 African Nations Cup, I was punished by missing the final and being excluded from the national team for six months. The final we lost, I was young and I think I am older than the team, but I confirm now that no one is bigger than the team, and if someone thinks this, this will be a great failure.
“Officials in Egypt did not direct any word of blame or reproach to Mohamed Salah and the harm caused by his negligence to the Egyptian team, and I name each of the Minister of Sports Ashraf Sobhi, Chairman of the EFA Amr Al-Ganayni, the coach of the national team Hossam Al-Badri, and the national team director Mohamed Barakat, all are cowards and fear Mohamed Salah fans who love the Liverpool star, but here I am speaking without calculations or fear of anyone, and what is being said should be said to me.
“No one can say that Salah did not make a mistake by going to his brother's wedding at that difficult time and in light of the corona crisis, all the English newspapers speak against us negatively.
"Salah should have been blamed for what he did, but everyone feels fear.”