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Legendary AC Milan striker George Weah has advised Liverpool forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane not to take “unnecessary pressure” upon themselves over winning the Ballon d’Or.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are the only team in Europe to have a realistic chance of lifting the treble or quadruple this season. They are only a point behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, are in the FA Cup final, and have already won the EFL Cup.
The Reds have also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, where they will face La Liga outfit Villarreal in home and away fixtures on 27 April and 3 May, respectively.
Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah have once again been the standout performers for Liverpool this season, making 22 and 42 goal contributions across competitions, respectively.
If the Reds win a couple more trophies this season, it will not be surprising to see the duo up on the Ballon d’Or podium. Weah, however, has urged the pair not to think too much about the coveted individual trophy, asking them to focus on improving their performances instead.
Speaking to Canal+ (via Kingfut) the 1995 Ballon d’Or winner said:
“They shouldn’t obsess over the Ballon d’Or, rather they should focus on their performances and try to improve more. [They must not] put unnecessary pressure on themselves. I always worked hard to get my family out of poverty, that’s how I was awarded the Ballon d’Or.”
In the Reds’ 4-0 win over Manchester United on Tuesday (19 April), both Mane and Salah found the back of the net. While the Senegalese scored and assisted one apiece, the Egyptian bagged a brace alongside an assist to win the Player of the Match award.
Ballon d’Or race could go down to the wire between the two Liverpool forwards
From 2022, French Football will only judge a player’s performance over the course of a season, not a calendar year. This rules out would-be heroes at the World Cup, but exploits in qualifiers or major international tournaments should count for something.
In that regard, Sadio Mane is well clear of his teammate Mohamed Salah. The forward not only won the AFCON with Senegal in January but also booked their ticket for the World Cup in Qatar later this year. Funnily enough, both of his victories came at the expense of Egypt. So, while Salah is ahead in terms of goals (32) and assists (nine), Mane’s exploits in Senegal's colors could help him close the gap.
Considering the Liverpool superstars will not slow down in the coming months, we could be in for a mouth-watering friendly battle over the prestigious individual accolade.
