Sakho Apologises for Anfield Moment and Shares Views on Klopp Fallout | OneFootball

Sakho’s Handshake and the Ghost of Anfield’s Past

Forgotten Faces, Unforgiven Moments

In football, memories linger. Not just the triumphant ones — Istanbul, Barcelona, the shimmering parades — but also the jarring flashpoints, the split-second decisions that rupture bonds between player and supporter. For Mamadou Sakho, one handshake has defined his Liverpool legacy more than any tackle, pass or passionate cry to the Kop.

The former France international has broken his silence via an interview with the Liverpool Echo, revisiting that moment at Anfield in 2017. It was Christian Benteke who struck the dagger in a 2–1 win for Crystal Palace, but it was Sakho, celebrating animatedly with his then-teammate near the touchline, who absorbed the ire.

“I just celebrated with my team-mate. That’s it,” Sakho explained. “He came to me, I was on the bench and I couldn’t play. We just did our handshake.”

That handshake, however, felt like betrayal. Not merely because Sakho was on the Palace bench while still technically a Liverpool player — albeit on loan — but because of what it represented. A misjudgement. A detachment from the club’s values. A lack of understanding of what Anfield means to those who fill it every week.

Photo: IMAGO

Disrespect or Misunderstanding?

Intent is one thing. Optics, in football especially, are everything. Sakho’s insistence that “it wasn’t my intention” to offend carries weight — he does not speak with malice, but rather with the tone of a man still trying to rationalise his place in a story that got away from him.

“I respect the club and I respect all the fans and they know already,” he added. Perhaps. But football’s emotional ledger rarely balances so neatly.

His tenure at Liverpool was already strained. The falling-out with Jürgen Klopp was public and swift. The missed flight, the lateness for meals, the banishment from the pre-season tour — all symptoms of a breakdown in discipline and trust.

“But seriously, because a player is late to eat, the time’s 7.15 and he comes at 7.18, now he leaves the club? Come on,” Sakho reflected. His words suggest an ongoing resentment, a belief that punishment outstripped the crime.

One Mistake Too Many

Klopp’s Liverpool was built on unity. Not perfection, but togetherness. Sakho, for all his ability, was inconsistent and unreliable. A brilliant defender on his day, but a risk to cohesion. Benteke’s goal that afternoon merely confirmed that Klopp’s ruthless reshuffle was justified. Sakho, once considered a future captain, had become surplus.

“Sometimes few things happen inside. I cannot talk about it, but it’s like this. It’s football,” he offered. It’s a vague but telling remark. The silence between the lines speaks louder — unfinished business, unrevealed tensions, unresolved pain.

He promises that one day the full story will be told. Liverpool fans may or may not want to hear it. In truth, most have moved on. Yet that image — the handshake, the grin, the misread room — remains a scar. A momentary lapse that severed a once-strong connection.

Time Doesn’t Heal Every Wound

Football is sentimental, but not always forgiving. Sakho’s belated apology, however softly spoken, is unlikely to change minds. His past is etched in the memory of a single April afternoon, the echo of boos louder than the cheer he sought.

He was not just another player. He was one who promised so much — leadership, heart, even cult status. But in the end, he celebrated the wrong goal, at the wrong time, in the wrong shirt.

Our View – Anfield Index Analysis

Sakho’s time at the club feels like a ‘what if’ — what if he had maintained Klopp’s standards, what if he’d stayed fit and focused? The celebration with Benteke wasn’t just poor judgement; it felt like a public admission that his allegiance had shifted. And for a club like Liverpool, where emotional currency matters, that’s unforgivable.

As for his comments about being late for meals and flights — it reeks of deflection. Yes, footballers are human. But at elite level, the margin for error is tight. Klopp was establishing a culture. Sakho didn’t fit that mould anymore.

There’s no need to pile on. He’s not the villain of Liverpool’s story. But he certainly isn’t one of its heroes.