An awkward interaction between Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and a female reporter has had football fans in stitches.
After a victorious Champions League final on Sunday, the Liverpool striker was giving a brief interview on the pitch of Wanda Metropolitano, with the noise of fans' celebrations rising to a deafening volume.
The female interviewer leant in for a second, in an apparent bid to get closer and shout her question over the noise.
But Mo Salah slipped back with a look of polite resistance on his face, raising his right hand; it appears that he misread the woman's body language, thinking that she might have kissed or hugged him.
Salah actually thought the reporter was about to kiss him 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/hYtcBRwtIk
— Football HQ (@FootbaII_HQ) 4 июня 2019 г.
This blunder hasn't gone unnoticed, with fans heaping praise on the Egyptian forward for his gentlemanly behaviour.
Faithful FC, I’m sure the misses rewarded him after observing 😌😅
— Your Neighbours Hood Pharmacist (@Mulwelimuofhe) 4 июня 2019 г.
My god that man is humble and faithful to his family, the best of the best
— PROUD SCOUSER LEE ❤️🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 (@jsundefined) 4 июня 2019 г.
Because his missus is watching it. No one wanna get caught in live
— ben (@damnitbennnnnn_) 4 июня 2019 г.
One Twitter user suggested that Salah over-reacted because he had too much unwanted female attention that evening, referencing the incident with a scantily-clad pitch invader halfway through the first half.
He got traumatised by the pitch invader. Once bitten twice shy 🤣
— Surya Chandra (@Suryach78) 4 июня 2019 г.
And another said that if the reporter would have inched forward, things could've gotten physical.
Looked like she was only a matter of inches away from being karate chopped in the neck
— Conor 🖐☝️⭐ (@ll_Conor_ll) 4 июня 2019 г.
Salah, a devout Muslim, got married to his childhood sweetheart Magi in 2013; they have a daughter, Makka, who is now 5 years old.
They often join Salah on the pitch after big fixtures, and Saturday's final was no exception.
It saw Liverpool claim their sixth Champions League cup, the biggest prize in European club football, after Salah's early penalty and Divock Origi's late-game second goal helped the Reds beat Tottenham Hotspur.
Liverpool managed to learn their lessons from the stunning 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in last year's final, where Salah received a game-ending shoulder injury.
"I was very disappointed that I got injured and went out after 30 minutes and we lost the game. It was something to motivate me to win this time", he said.
"Last year we were fighting for the Champions' League, before that the Europa League, so it's a progression. This is the first we have fought for the Premier League and we only lost it by one point".
