Champions League: 'I like VAR now’! - Mohamed Salah ecstatic after Champions League success
What's the story?
Mohamed Salah was a very happy man after Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur to win the Champions League final. He scored the first goal for Liverpool from a penalty. Liverpool were given the penalty soon after the game started and the Reds benefitted from the VAR call.
In case you didn't know...
Liverpool beat Tottenham 2-0 in the Champions League final at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. It was Liverpool's second final in two years. Last season, they lost to Real Madrid in the final.
While Salah went off injured last time around, the Egyptian played the full game against Spurs. He also scored Liverpool's first goal of the match from penalty spot after the referee awarded a spot kick for Moussa Sissoko's handball in the box.
It was a controversial decision as the ball appeared to hit him in the chest first then bounce off his arm. The referee made no delay in pointing to the spot, just 30 seconds into the game.
After having lost the league title to Manchester City, Liverpool will be ecstatic to win the Champions League trophy and finish their season in style.
The heart of the matter
In an interview with BTsport after the Champions League final Salah spoke about many things. He was asked about about VAR in the Champions League and replied,
“Basically we are guaranteed VAR next season, but I like it now. So it's great to win the game.”
The Egyptian seemed to lost for words as he also talked about how he felt and about the team's perfomanece tonight. He commented,
“Honestly I don't know what to say,”
“Everybody's happy now, we've won the final. It's our second final in a row, and I got to play 90 minutes finally.
“There wasn't one great individual performance for anyone, but all the team were brilliant tonight. Congratulations to all of us and all the fans around the world.”
He also spoke about winning the UCL as an Egyptian, he said,
“I sacrificed a lot in my career, especially to leave my parents in Cairo to play football.
“To be an Egyptian in the Champions League, it's unbelievable. I'm very glad for that.”
What's next?
It will be time for Liverpool to celebrate their success after they return to England. The players will be having some time off before flying off for their international duty.