Champions League final: Real star addresses 'disrespectful' Mo Salah's comments

A Real Madrid player has accused Liverpool star Mohamed Salah of showing "disrespect" ahead of the Champions League final on Saturday

An infamous Sergio Ramos tackle that led to Mo Salah's shoulder injury at Kiev in 2018

The Reds take on the La Liga giants in Paris this weekend and it is the third time in five seasons that they have reached the competition's showpiece event during Jurgen Klopp's tenure.

Salah made headlines earlier this month when he expressed a desire to face Real Madrid in the final. His comments came after Liverpool beat Villarreal and before Madrid faced Manchester City in their semi-final second leg.

After Madrid came back from the brink to beat City in the second leg, Salah then put on social media: "We have a score to settle."

He was then asked about the final after winning the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year prize 2022. He said: "It’s revenge time. They beat us in the final last time. It was a very sad day for all of us, so yeah."

Salah’s comments were made in reference to Liverpool's defeat to the Spanish side in the 2018 final in Kiev - a game in which he came off with a shoulder injury that followed a foul by Sergio Ramos.

But Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde has labelled the remarks from Salah as "disrespectful".

"Obviously they're words that everyone can take however they want," Valverde told Spain's 'Club del Deportista' magazine and published by Marca.

"I'm his opponent and it's like disrespecting the Real Madrid shield, the players.

"The only thing we must do is give our best, try to show why we're in the final and let's hope we can give another trophy to the fans and to Real Madrid."