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Former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren said he deliberately hit Sergio Ramos after injuring Spaniard Mohamed Salah in the 2018 Champions League final.
“We played a lot better than Real Madrid before Salah was injured. His absence was a severe blow to us – after he was eliminated, they began to dominate the game, ”said Lovren, who recently joined Zenit St. Petersburg.
Lovren spoke in an interview with the Egyptian television station «Sada El Balad» about the unforgettable incident in which Real’s defense chief pushed the Liverpool key player to the ground and knocked him out: «Did I intentionally hit Ramos after he injured Salah? Yes, that is possible. I don’t want to make a big story out of it, but I think Ramos intentionally hurt my boyfriend. So it was time to pay for what he did. “
Since Salah joined the Reds in 2017, the Egyptian and the Croat have been best friends. The resentment about the treatment of his buddy ran deep. Lovren reveals: «Luka Modric tried to ease the tension between me and Ramos. We played with the Croatian national team against Spain (editor’s note: on November 15, 2018 in the Nations League) and I deliberately hit him with the elbow. I told him we were even now. “
Dejan Lovren:
“Yes, I deliberately hit Ramos with my elbow during the Spain and Croatia match. He deliberately injured my friend Salah in the Champions League final, so he had to pay the price for what he did.” #Liverpoolfc pic.twitter.com/sv3NsgYUds
— Anything Liverpool (@AnythingLFC_) August 20, 2020
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Lovren does not want to fully reveal what Salah’s reaction was after his act of revenge: “I won’t tell you, but he laughed.”
The 31-year-old is clearer about his rival: “I respect Ramos as a player and what he does for his team. He has won a lot of titles. But on the other hand, he shows behavior that I don’t like and that harms the players. “
