What happened next was one of those moments of fate that makes you wonder: what would have happened if... ? In the winter of 2014, Salah received an offer from Liverpool, but decided to sign for Chelsea. At the time it made sense because Chelsea dominated the League, but the club already had a few star strikers and its then coach, José Mourinho, rarely rotated its starting lineup. "in retrospect, I realize that I was misadvised," says Salah.
London was an even greater change than Switzerland. Shortly after arriving, Magy gave birth to her first daughter, Makka. In Egypt, Salah's fame went off. So and now, an Egyptian player who scores for one of the best Premier League teams is virtually unheard of. He tried to get minutes of play, but he used to stay on the bench without playing. Critics said that he had been transferred too soon, that he was not up to the physical power required in the Premier League. Salah stopped reading the news. "psychologically it was very hard for me. I couldn't cope with the pressure from the media, coming from outside, "says Salah. "I wasn't playing much and I felt like I had to go."
The following year, Chelsea lent Salah to Fiorentine. Italy liked it, played well and moved to Rome in 2015. At a time like this, a lot of players with their talent could have settled: okay, you had your chance at the top, but this is your level. However, the rejection he felt in Chelsea affected him and his motivation grew even more. "you have two options: give them the right to put you on the bench or prove them wrong," he says. "I had to prove them wrong."
Mientras seguía en el banquillo del Chelsea, Salah comenzó a levantar más pesas, fortaleciendo el tren superior. “Solía ir todos los días al gimnasio porque sabía que no jugaría”, dice. (Los resultados son evidentes cuando Salah se quita la camiseta para celebrar un gol o en su perfil de Instagram: tiene unos abdominales que parecen panecillos recién horneados). Comenzó a leer libros de autoayuda como El sutil arte de que (casi todo) te importe una mierda, de Mark Manson, y a ver videos de YouTube de reputados entrenadores como Tony Robbins y Zig Ziglar. “Napoleon Hill me influyó mucho”, dice Salah. “Era el único escritor que de verdad hablaba sobre tener fe en uno mismo. Para mí, todos los libros que he leído después se basan en lo que ya había dicho él”. (Irónicamente, ahora se cree que Hill, pionero escritor del género de autoayuda y autor del superventas Piense y hágase rico, de 1937, se inventó en gran parte las historias de su propio éxito. Finge que lo tienes hasta que lo consigas, que dirían).
It is easy to be cynical with self-help literature-be positive, believe in yourself-but Salah helped, to the point that speaking to him gives the feeling of being in a motivational seminar. "the best thing you can do is talk very seriously to yourself. Have a cup of coffee, sit down and ask yourself what you want, "he says. Or: "some people Don't know how to face themselves correctly, but that doesn't happen to me: if I have problems, I face myself and feel where I am."
