The first Egyptian to win the European Cup

Egypt’s Mohamed Salah made history last night, as his club, Liverpool took home the coveted UEFA Champions League Cup (UCL), Europe’s biggest award. It was an all English final, as The Reds’ faced off against London’s Tottenham Hotspur in a game that ended 2-0.

This was a big moment for the 26-year-old, as just over a year ago, he had to leave the pitch during the final, after a clash with Real Madrid captain, Sergio Ramos, left his shoulder badly injured. With an hour of the match left, Salah had to watch his dreams of carrying the Champions League Cup in Kiev slip away, as his team lost 3-1 with the Spanish club winning the competition for the third consecutive time.

Not only Salah become the first Egyptian to win the European Cup, he was also the first to score in a final for the competition. The striker was awarded a penalty in the first 30 seconds of the game. He ended up scoring the goal well within the second minute, after the VAR confirmed that it was a penalty. Salah’s opener became the second-fastest goal in a UCL history (108 secs), only behind Paolo Maldini (50 secs) for AC Milan in 2005.

It was a tense game, as Tottenham were expected to score in any minute, but on the 87th minute, Divock Origi, scored Liverpool’s second goal, securing the club’s sixth UCL title. In a post-match interview, when asked about last seasons disappointment compared to the win, Salah responded: “Honestly, I don’t know what to say, but everyone is happy now to win the final. I am glad to play the second final in a row, and play 90-minute finally.” He also made sure to emphasis emphasising the strength of Klopp’s collective: “Everyone did his best to win the game, and I think it is not an individual performance for anyone, all the team was unbelievable today, congratulations to all of us and all the fans around the world.”

 

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“I sacrificed a lot for my career, especially going from my Village to Cairo to play football and come back, to be an Egyptian in that level for many years, is something unbelievable. So, I am very happy and glad for that.” After receiving their gold medals, Salah and his teammates headed to the locker-room for some early celebrations, and we got a glimpse through their social media accounts. Liverpool’s defender Dejan Lovren posted several videos on his Instagram, one of which included the Egyptian dancing to Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ mega-hit Old Town Road.

After the match and celebrating in the locker-room, the players and their families took to the pitch, to get their pictures taken with the Cup. Salah was joined on the pitch with his wife Magi, and his daughter Makka, who managed to steal the show yet again. As the striker and his wife hug, their daughter is seen running towards the sprinklers, before screaming, “Oh my God,” and running back to her parents arms.

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