“I’m totally devastated.”
That’s how Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah, 30, described his devastation on social media after his team failed to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Liverpool held out hope to the last minute to secure a fourth-place finish in the English Premier League (EPL) for the 2022-2023 season, but Manchester United’s 4-1 home win over Chelsea on Friday (local time) ended those dreams.
The Red Devils moved into third place with 72 points (22W6D9L) with one game remaining, while Liverpool dropped to fifth (19W9D9L, 66 points) and fourth-place Newcastle United (19W13D5L, 70 points) are now out of reach.
Liverpool, who won the Champions League in the 2018-2019 season, will be relegated to the Europa League next season. The Reds made it all the way to the final last season, but had to settle for runner-up honors to Real Madrid.
For a team like that, it’s a big shock. Salah, who has scored 19 goals in the EPL this season, said: “There are no excuses. We let you (the fans) down and ourselves down.”
Salah signed a new three-year contract with Liverpool last summer. This season in the EPL, he struggled before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with six goals in 14 games, but after the tournament he scored 13 goals in 23 games 먹튀검증.