Former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren has launched a fierce attack on television pundits, describing their recent criticism of Mohamed Salah as “disgusting.”
Lovren jumped passionately to the defence of his former teammate, questioning the motives of those targeting the Egyptian forward in the media.
The Croatian centre-back suggested that pundits deliberately attack Salah simply to generate attention and further their own public profiles.
“It’s not harsh. It’s disgusting,” Lovren stated, making his feelings abundantly clear on the matter.
“Why didn’t they talk about him like this for the past eight or nine years? Okay, one season, and then he’s the target again,” Lovren continued.
He went further, adding: “Some pundits do it just to attract attention, maybe because they haven’t succeeded in other areas of their lives, so now they need to perform well.”
Lovren reserved his sharpest criticism for Sky Sports pundit and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher, accusing him of lacking the courage to deliver his opinions face-to-face.
“Especially Carragher, he says whatever he wants,” Lovren said, revealing that he had personally experienced the pundit’s sharp words during his own time in England.
“I always said he should tell him this to his face, say all these things to Mo to his face. He’ll never say that, because I know he never will, because he never said it to me,” Lovren explained.
“He’s talked badly about me too, but he never said that to me anyway. You know, he’s just performing on TV and he gets paid for it, so he needs to perform this way.”
The passionate defence comes as no surprise given the strong friendship Lovren and Salah built during their years together at Liverpool under former manager Jurgen Klopp.
The duo shared some of the club’s most successful seasons and became well known for their close bond away from the pitch.
Having witnessed Salah’s brilliance at such close quarters, Lovren clearly believes the forward deserves far greater respect than certain media figures have been willing to show.
Salah’s place among Liverpool’s all-time greats remains firmly beyond dispute, despite the criticism he faced in his final season at the club.
The Egyptian forward delivered multiple major honours during his time at Anfield and consistently produced elite-level performances season after season.
Salah ultimately announced his departure following a fallout with then-manager Arne Slot, bringing his remarkable Anfield era to a close at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
In a dramatic twist, Liverpool moved to sack Slot just weeks after Salah’s exit, appointing Andoni Iraola as the club’s new manager.
Many Liverpool supporters are now left wondering whether Salah might have remained at the club had the decision to part ways with Slot come sooner.
