The article unpacks the real story behind the long-rumoured tension between Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at Liverpool, using newly resurfaced comments from both Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino to show what was really going on inside that famous front three.

It starts by revisiting the most explosive flashpoint: the Burnley game at Turf Moor in August 2019. Mane had already scored and was in a great position for a simple tap-in when Salah chose to shoot instead of squaring the ball. Salah’s decision infuriated Mane, who was substituted moments later by Jürgen Klopp. TV cameras caught him raging on the bench, gesturing furiously, and the images quickly went viral as “proof” of a fractured relationship.

Mane has since explained that he was genuinely furious in that moment, not because he hated Salah, but because he felt the decision was selfish and costly. He admitted he later watched the game back and was even more annoyed when he saw Salah’s expression and body language. But the key detail, he says, is what happened the next day. Salah approached him to talk. According to Mane, Salah was nervous and unsure how to start the conversation, clearly worried Mane might still be angry.

In their private chat, Salah explained that he hadn’t intentionally ignored him. He said he hadn’t even seen Mane in that moment – he just got the ball and instinctively wanted to shoot. Mane insists he believed him and understood it wasn’t personal. As a striker himself, he recognises that tunnel-vision instinct: when you see the goal, sometimes you don’t see anything else. Mane says that from that day, the two actually became closer, with the confrontation cleared and no lingering resentment.

The article then brings in Roberto Firmino’s perspective – arguably the one player who knew that attacking trio better than anyone. In his autobiography Si Senor: My Liverpool Years, Firmino describes being both the “link” between them on the pitch and the “firefighter” when tensions rose. He says he’d long picked up on the small signs – looks, grimaces, body language – when either Salah or Mane was annoyed with the other over passes, chances, or decisions.

Firmino reveals the Burnley blow-up wasn’t an isolated incident; he felt the frustration had been “brewing” since the 2018/19 season. But he insists it was never a deep personal feud – more the natural friction between two ultra-competitive forwards chasing goals, records and glory in a high-pressure environment.

He describes the Burnley moment in detail: Mane storming off, James Milner trying to calm him, the mood turning heavy despite a Liverpool win. As they walked up the tunnel, Firmino found himself literally between Salah (in front) and Mane (behind), with a TV camera pointing straight at them. That’s when he pulled the now-iconic “knowing grin” to the camera – a look he says was less about mocking the argument and more an acknowledgment that he understood exactly what was going on… and also that it wasn’t going to tear the team apart.

Firmino stresses that while Salah and Mane “were never best friends” and tended to keep themselves to themselves – possibly influenced by the Egypt–Senegal rivalry at international level – they always behaved professionally. They never stopped working together, never refused to pass, and remained committed to the team’s success. He’s clear: the disagreement “could have caused problems” but didn’t, because both players were too driven and disciplined to let personal ego override the wider objective.

 

The article uses all this to challenge the long-standing media narrative that the relationship was toxic or broken. Instead, it paints a more nuanced picture: two elite forwards with huge ambition, occasional clashes, and moments of real tension, but underpinned by mutual respect and a shared desire to win.

It also underscores Firmino’s quiet importance. While Salah and Mane grabbed headlines with goals, Firmino was the glue – tactically, emotionally, and socially. His ability to link play on the pitch mirrored his role in linking personalities off it, calming situations and “pouring water on the fire, never petrol.”

Finally, the piece ties everything back to the legacy of that front three. Despite the occasional argument and outside speculation, Salah, Mane and Firmino formed one of the most devastating attacking units in modern football. They delivered the Champions League, Premier League and multiple other trophies, and their bond – though not built on best-friend intimacy – was strong enough to survive the pressures, rivalries and split-second decisions that come with playing at the very top.

In short, the “drama” between Salah and Mane was real, but it was also human, temporary and ultimately resolved. Behind the viral clips and memes was a story of two fiercely competitive teammates, an honest conversation, and a Brazilian mediator who knew exactly how to keep the peace while Liverpool climbed to the summit of world football.