Jamie Carragher has put his foot right in it. And now half of Egypt wants his head on a plate.
The Liverpool legend appeared on Sky Sports Monday Night Football to discuss the ongoing Mohamed Salah saga at Anfield. Nothing unusual there - Carragher is a regular pundit who never shies away from giving his opinion.
But what he said next has sparked an absolute firestorm.
The comments that lit the fuse
Carragher was asked about Salah's explosive post-match interview after the 3-3 draw with Leeds, where the Egyptian accused Liverpool of throwing him under the bus and claimed his relationship with Arne Slot had broken down.
The former defender did not hold back. He called Salah's comments shameful and choreographed. He said the 33-year-old was not a star before Liverpool made him one. He pointed out that Salah has won nothing with Egypt on the international stage.
And then came the killer blow: Carragher reminded everyone that Mohamed Salah was a flop at Chelsea before arriving at Anfield.
Ouch.
Egypt hits back
Now look, Carragher is not wrong about the Chelsea bit. Salah managed just two goals in 19 appearances for the Blues before being shipped out on loan to Fiorentina and Roma. It was only when Liverpool paid 34 million pounds for him in 2017 that he became the player we know today.
But try telling that to Salah's army of Egyptian supporters.
Within hours of the broadcast, Carragher's social media accounts were flooded with angry messages. Fans called him a disgrace and a dishonour to Liverpool. They accused him of disrespecting a player who has scored 250 goals for the club he claims to love.
And it did not stop there.
Travel ban demanded
According to reports, Salah's family and friends are now demanding that Jamie Carragher be BANNED from entering Egypt. Yes, you read that correctly. They want the former England defender blacklisted from an entire country because of his comments on a football show.
Is that an overreaction? Absolutely. Is it surprising? Not really. Salah is a god in Egypt. He carried them to their first World Cup in 28 years. His face is on billboards across Cairo. Criticising him over there is like walking into a pub in Liverpool and slagging off Kenny Dalglish.
Liverpool fans divided
The reaction closer to home has been more mixed. Some Liverpool supporters are backing Carragher for his honesty. They argue that Salah's interview was out of order and that no player should publicly attack their manager like that, regardless of how many goals they have scored.
Others see it differently. They reckon Carragher is being ungrateful to a man who has delivered more joy to Anfield than almost anyone in the club's history. 250 goals. A Premier League title. A Champions League. The man is a living legend, and here is Carra calling him a Chelsea reject on national television.
The bigger picture
What gets lost in all this noise is the actual football. Liverpool are in eighth place, ten points behind Arsenal. They have thrown away two-goal leads FOUR times this season. Their title defence has been an absolute disaster.
Salah has been dropped for three consecutive matches and then banished from the Champions League squad for the Inter Milan game. Whether you think that is justified or not, there is clearly something very wrong at Anfield right now.
Carragher calling Salah a flop might be technically accurate about his Chelsea days. But it is also pouring petrol on a fire that is already burning out of control.
The Egyptian King versus the Bootle boy. This one is going to run and run.
