Jamie Carragher says he should have been "tidier" with his "clumsy" AFCON remarks while "banging the drum" for Mohamed Salah to win the Ballon d'Or.
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Carragher dismissed AFCON as "not a major tournament"African legends hit out at the ex-Liverpool defenderThe ex-Liverpool defender has now clarified his commentsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! đąđ±WHAT HAPPENED?
The debate arose when Carragher, while discussing Salahâs chances of winning footballâs most prestigious individual award, appeared to downplay the significance of AFCON. His remarks prompted immediate backlash from various figures in the footballing world, including former players like Rio Ferdinand and African football legends including John Obi Mikel.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT CARRAGHER SAID IN CLARIFICATION
Carragher addressed the issue in greater depth during his latest appearance on CBS Sports'Champions League coverage. He explained to host Kate Abdo that he never intended to be dismissive or disrespectful towards AFCON or any other tournament.
He stated: "What I would say is you know me better than anyone on this show and Iâve got very strong opinions on the game, I love debate and that will never change. But what I never want to be described as as a pundit would be ignorant or disrespectful, so that was never my aim, whether that's to a club, a player, a country, a continent, an international tournament, whatever that may be. What I would say is, where I got it wrong was I was clumsy with my language, in describing AFCON as not a major tournament.
âI was trying to explain the merits of Mo Salah winning the Ballon dâOr and I felt, or feel, that not just AFCON, but the Asia Games or Gold Cup, not so much the Copa America, but there are five more competitions out there besides the World Cup that are for their continent a major tournament. Some of them donât resonate with people who vote for the Ballon dâOr and that was not an opinion, that was a fact in terms of looking at who won the Ballon dâOr over the last 40 or 50 years.â
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Carragherâs argument does hold some ground as only one African player, George Weah, has ever won the Ballon dâOr – an achievement dating back to 1995. However, Sadio Mane came close to winning in 2022 after leading Senegal to an AFCON title, finishing as runner-up. This year, Salah is regarded as a strong contender for the award given his scintillating form with Liverpool as the Reds chase silverware on multiple fronts. Carragher remains determined to see the Egyptian recognised for his form but admitted that he will be more careful with his words in future discussions.
He added: âYes Iâve been banging the drum for Salah to be the first African player to win the Ballon dâOr since George Weah in the 90s and I shouldâve been a lot tidier with my language around that so yes thatâs something Iâll look at. But you look at the Euros, where itâs at right now and the competitions and some of them resonate with the Ballon dâOr voters whether that be journalists, managers, national captains.
âOne of the reasons might be because, letâs not forget, the Ballon dâOr was the European footballer of the year, so maybe there is a bias towards the Euros or European football. It definitely is not my aim to offend people, I know Iâve done that in the past in different guises about different players or teams, but that was certainly not the case, and hopefully now thatâs addressed it.â
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SALAH?
Salah has been in outstanding form, scoring 30 goals in 39 appearances this season as he continues to break records for Arne Slotâs team. Liverpool's 'Egyptian King' will be hoping to strengthen his Ballon dâOr case when Liverpool take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday night in Paris – a match that could further elevate his standing among footballâs elite.