clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Egypt lawyer to sue Spanish footballer $1.1bn for injuring Salah

May 29, 2018 at 3:01 pm

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is injured during the UEFA Champions League final football match between Real Madrid and Liverpool FC on 26 May 2018 [Vladimir Shtanko/Anadolu Agency]

An Egyptian lawyer is suing Spanish footballer Sergio Ramos for €1 billion ($1.12 million) for a tackle which injured Egyptian star player Mohamed Salah in the Champions League final on Saturday.

“Ramos intentionally injured Mo Salah and should be punished about his actions,” lawyer Bassem Wahba said, according to the Evening Standard.

Wahba has filed a complaint to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and is seeking damages for the “physical and psychological harm that Ramos gave Salah and the Egyptian people.”

Ramos, who locked arms with Salah before falling on the forward’s shoulder, became instantly hated by millions of Egyptians and Liverpool fans.

Many took to social media to vent their frustrations after the game, with “Son of dirt”, “Ramos the dog” and “Son of shoes” trending on Twitter in Egypt.

Read: Lieberman jokes that Israel army should recruit Mohamed Salah

Reported to have suffered a sprain in his shoulder ligaments, it remains doubtful whether Salah will have healed in time for Egypt’s first World Cup game against Uruguay on 15 June. With Egypt qualifying for the tournament for the first time in 28 years, emotions in the country have been running high.

Nearly 500,000 people from across the world have also signed a petition calling for FIFA to punish Sergio Ramos for “intentionally hurting” Salah.

Often referred to as the “Fourth Pyramid”, Egyptians have been basking in the glory of Salah’s success.

Many have been using his image to uplift the country’s economy, with manufacturers plastering his face on traditional Ramadan products ranging from pillows to lanterns as they try to cash in on his success to offset hardships caused by the government’s financial reforms.

Salah scored 44 goals in 51 games in his debut campaign and earlier this month won the Golden Boot as the highest scoring player this season.

Read: Saudi Arabia gives footballer Salah some land in Makkah