Mohamed Salah has achieved "nothing" with Egypt and the Liverpool star must raise his level when featuring for the national team, according to former Pharaohs coach Hassan Shehata.
In response, Egypt's former sports and youth minister Khaled Abdel Aziz defended the forward, calling him a wonderful ambassador and unifying figure for the country.
Salah scored 31 goals and provided 15 assists across all competitions for Liverpool as they won the EFL and FA Cups last season, also finishing as runners-up in the Premier League and Champions League.
But the forward experienced a more frustrating campaign on the international front, as Egypt lost the Africa Cup of Nations final on penalties to Senegal in February and suffered the same fate in March's crucial World Cup qualification play-off – with Salah missing from the spot in the latter contest.
Those disappointing results have led Shehata, who coached Egypt from 2004 to 2011 and won consecutive Africa Cup of Nations titles in 2006, 2008, and 2010, to call for improvements from Salah.
"We all know that Salah is one of the stars of the world and not just one of the stars of Egypt," he told Sada al-Balad. "The awards he took and the goals he scored give him the right to be the top star.
"But technically, and I'm sorry to say this, Salah has done nothing with the national team. He should have done much better than he has. He must provide more when he plays for his country."
However, Shehata did admit Salah was playing with inferior players when joining up with the national team, and said it was up to coaches to get the best from the 30-year-old after Egypt put in a series of dull displays at this year's Cup of Nations.
"It's true [that there is a difference in quality compared to Liverpool]," Shehata said. "He should have said this to the officials here - although he is not the one who chooses the players - but he should've said that the players here are not like the players in England."
Shehata's criticisms have not gone unnoticed in Egypt, with the country's former sports minister Aziz defending Salah's role on and off the pitch.
"Mohamed Salah was one of the most important soft forces that returned life in Egypt to normal after the [2013] June 30 revolution," he wrote on Twitter, alongside an image of himself with the Liverpool star.
"He was a wonderful global ambassador for his country in a difficult political period and led the national team to the World Cup after 28 years [in 2018].
"And despite the suspension of the league [after deaths occurred amid stadium violence in 2015] and then the league of the two groups, he led the team to the final of Africa [Cup of Nations] 2017 after three consecutive times we did not qualify at all."
Egypt are seeking their third head coach of the calendar year after sacking Ehab Galal after only three games at the helm last week, just two months on from Carlos Queiroz quitting the role.
Man City v Liverpool: Preview and prediction
Liverpool may be no threat to Manchester City in the title race this season, but they could derail the champions' hopes of a treble in Saturday's match at the Etihad Stadium.
That is the fear of Pep Guardiola, who still thinks highly of a Reds side struggling for consistency this season.
City need to win to at least temporarily close the gap to leaders Arsenal, while Liverpool are on the outside of the Champions League chase looking in.
That idea would have been alien to these two teams last year as they went toe-to-toe for the title, and memories of previous mammoth clashes are fresh in Guardiola's mind.
The City boss, who said his "opinion doesn't change for one season of ups and downs", explained: "For one game, absolutely, they can beat everyone, like we can beat everyone. One game is one game."
As City can focus on Arsenal alone in the league, Liverpool's situation is rather more complicated.
They are seven points behind fourth-placed Tottenham with two games in hand but also five shy of Newcastle United, who have played the same number of games in fifth.
Liverpool follow a trip to City by facing Chelsea and Arsenal next week.
"It's a super important game," said Jurgen Klopp. "That's the one thing not different to all the other years.
"We know it's a massive game, a massive week coming up. For tomorrow, they deserve all the attention – we can't think about the other games.
"It is like a Champions League week. I'm super excited."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester City – Kevin De Bruyne
While Haaland was out of action in the international break, De Bruyne was on top form for Belgium, putting Germany to the sword earlier this week with a goal and two assists. He will have a key role to play against City, who have played more through balls than any other team (64), while Liverpool are joint-fourth for the most through balls played against them (48). De Bruyne leads all players with 21 through balls.
Liverpool – Mohamed Salah
Salah loves playing against City, only scoring more than his 10 goals in these matches when facing Manchester United (12). Indeed, he has already netted in three separate matches against Guardiola's side this season, on target in each of their meetings in the Premier League, Community Shield and EFL Cup. Ian Rush was the last last Liverpool player to score in four different games against an opponent in the same campaign, netting in five clashes with Everton in 1986-87.
MATCH PREDICTION – MAN CITY WIN
Liverpool are hoping to do the league double over City for just the second time in the past 17 seasons, but that previous home-and-away success in 2015-16 included their sole victory at the Etihad Stadium in their most recent 13 league visits.
This is not a season in which they appear likely to buck a trend away from home, having earned just 12 points from 13 games on the road. Having earned 30 points at Anfield, theirs is the biggest difference between home and away points in the division.
The Reds have also failed to score in six of those away games, their most across a whole league season since eight in 2011-12, and another blank would leave them at risk of a third straight defeat without scoring in all competitions for the first time since October 2009.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Man City - 50.8 per cent
Liverpool - 22.8 per cent
Draw - 26.4 per cent
Klopp likens Liverpool's clash with Man City to a Champions League tie
Jurgen Klopp likened Liverpool's Premier League clash with Manchester City to a Champions League tie ahead of a crucial game for both teams.
While this fixture in previous years was a potential title decider, Liverpool have fallen behind their rivals this season and face a stern fight in order to secure a top-four finish.
City, meanwhile, can temporarily close the gap upon leaders Arsenal to five points with a victory, with the Gunners hosting Leeds United later on Saturday, in their bid for a potential treble.
Although the two sides have different objectives heading into the final stretch of the Premier League season, it remains a match where tempers could flare given the rivalry that has developed in recent years.
Sat seven points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, with two games in hand, Liverpool face a battle to return to Europe's elite competition next season but Klopp feels this fixture has the same feel to it.
"It's a super important game. That's the one thing not different to all the other years," he said in Friday's press conference.
"We know it's a massive game, a massive week coming up. For tomorrow they deserve all the attention – we can't think about the other games.
"It is like a Champions League week. I'm super excited. We are not dumb. We know the last game against Real Madrid wasn't a good game, before that at Bournemouth wasn't a good game, the one before [a 7-0 win over Manchester United] was world-class.
"We have to pick up from there and react to the other two games."
City could be without Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland for the clash at Etihad Stadium, with Pep Guardiola staying tight-lipped on the striker's fitness, but Klopp knows the defending champions boast a threat even without their leading man.
"When you prepare a game, you prepare all things to avoid the final pass – which is where Erling really comes into the game," he added.
"He is a proper striker, but they became champions without a striker. That's how it is; you never know 100 per cent who can play."
Liverpool face a decisive week in their top-four push, with the trip to face City followed by a clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before hosting league leaders Arsenal at Anfield next Sunday.
Liverpool still 'an exceptional team', says Pep: 'My opinion doesn't change'
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insists his opinion of Liverpool has not been altered by their below-par season in 2022-23.
Liverpool visit Guardiola's City on Saturday with their campaign all but over.
The Reds have long since been out of the Premier League title race and have a big task ahead of them just to finish in the top four.
They did not win the EFL Cup and are out of the FA Cup and the Champions League.
It is a far cry from last year, when Liverpool pushed City to the last day in the league, bidding for an unprecedented quadruple before falling just short and finishing with just the two domestic trophies.
City are fighting Arsenal for the title this season, but Guardiola expects Liverpool to be back, even if he has no explanation for their lack of consistency.
"They remain an exceptional team," said the City manager. "My opinion doesn't change for one season of ups and downs. Every club can have a season of ups and downs.
"Now, the biggest rival is a different one this season. But with what happened in the past and in the future, they could be a big rival.
"For one game, absolutely, they can beat everyone, like we can beat everyone. One game is one game.
"It's about being consistent, and always Liverpool have been. This season... I don't know why [they have not been], because I'm not there, and honestly I don't care. I don't know the reason why, so you'll have to ask my colleague."
If Liverpool's season has been one of "ups and downs", City's could yet end on a remarkable high.
Second in the Premier League and into the FA Cup semi-finals and Champions League quarter-finals, they remain in contention for the treble.
But Guardiola continues to take one game at a time, explaining: "It's the best approach we can have. It can be boring, maybe it would be better if I said the opposite, but the reality is it's [about] the next game. Otherwise it cannot happen.
"I've said many times: just one team in the history of the Premier League won the treble – the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup – because it's so difficult. That's why we should not think about these kind of things.
"We have this game, then we have a long week and after a tough, tough schedule with many games. The most important thing is that we are still fighting.
"We are in all competitions. That is awesome, that is so good."
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