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Mohamed Salah with Alisson Becker of Liverpool before the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Anfield (Image: Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Former Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini has claimed Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker is ‘still angry’ with him because of his move to the Serie A giants back in 2016.

Alisson agreed to join the Italian outfit in a €7.5m switch from Internacional in February that year before completing the move the following July.

However, the Brazilian found himself behind Wojciech Szczesny, who was then enjoying his second season on loan from Arsenal, in the pecking order during his first season at the Stadio Olimpico.



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While Alisson made 15 appearances during his first season with Roma, he failed to make an appearance in Serie A with his outings instead spread across the Europa League, Coppa Italia and Champions League.

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Szczesny would go on to join Juventus in a permanent £10m deal in the summer of 2017, with Alisson then establishing himself as Roma’s first-choice following the Pole’s departure.

He too would then move on 12 months later, leaving for Liverpool in a then-record £65m switch after making 49 appearances in an eye-catching 2017/18 campaign.

But Sabatini has now claimed Alisson was not happy at not being first choice after joining Roma.

I preferred Szczesny for this and he didn’t accept it.”

But it ultimately worked out for the best for all parties with Sabatini ensuring Roma made maximum profit when selling Alisson to Liverpool.

The 32-year-old is now regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world and has won every major honour with the Reds.

Sabatini also played a crucial role in Mohamed Salah’s career, signing the Liverpool forward on loan from Chelsea for €5m in August 2015, before the switch was made permanent the following year for €15m.

After scoring 34 goals from 83 appearances for Roma, Salah joined Liverpool in a £43.9m deal in the summer of 2017 and has gone on to establish himself as one of their greatest ever players.

And Sabatini admits he was immediately impressed when meeting Salah in London before signing the Egyptian.

“I went to London three to four times,” he recalled.

And I found myself in front of a real man, full of values, ready to sacrifice.”

It was at Roma where both Salah, and Alisson, played alongside the legendary Francesco Totti, who he considers as one of his biggest role models.

“Oh, the legend, yeah, Totti.

One of my idols,” Salah told Optus Sport earlier this season.
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