Mamadou Sakho Talks Falling Out and Moving On

Mamadou Sakho spoke at length about his falling out with Jürgen Klopp in an interview with Canal Plus.

He missed the end of the 2015/2016 season, as well as the Europa League final (we lost that one, in case you’d somehow managed to suppress that fact) when UEFA banned him for doping. The ban was overturned, but Anfield-powers-that-be were quite irritated with the fact that Sakho had taken medication without prior approval from the club.

Sakho was then sent home from Liverpool’s pre-season camp in the U.S. after he arrived late for a team meeting and missed a recovery session while he was returning from injury.

“It is true that I turned up late,” Sakho admitted. “There was a rule that I should have observed. I do not at all see myself as above the rules. I respect everyone. Aside from that, I do not want to go into the controversies”

Sakho apologised to his teammates and Klopp and paid his fines, but has not seen first team action this season.

Of course, the fact that he followed this up by discussing his frustration at being left off the first team on Snapchat probably didn’t endear him to Klopp.

But that’s all ancient history. Klopp finally admitted to Sakho not being in his plans for the future, and we’re all sitting around glumly, waiting for the final transfer (probably to Southampton or Spartak Moscow) to come through.

“Since I started this incredible adventure abroad, in terms of football but also in terms of my family, when I see my children speaking English I think of it as a wealth I can bring to their lives," Sakho added. "I think I still have a few more great years to experience abroad first. And PSG? Why not, but afterwards.”

It’s probably best for Sakho’s career to move on (it’s almost definitely the only way he’ll get any non-reserve team action). The real question is if it’ll happen before Tuesday at 11 PM, or if he’s going to spend the next six months training with the reserve team before the summer window opens.