Mohamed Salah in bust-up with Egypt FA over using his face on side of national team plane
THE LIVERPOOL star says he was not consulted about the massive image on the plane Egypt will use for the World Cup. It’s feared the ‘insulting’ gaffe could cost him millions of dollars
MOHAMED SALAH has blasted the Egyptian FA for using a picture of him on the side of the national team's plane without his permission.
Middle East Eye say Liverpool's goal machine feels "insulted" not to have been asked whether their action brings him into conflict with any of his image rights deals.
Salah, 25, who has hit 43 goals this season and is in the running for the Ballon d'Or, posted in Arabic on Twitter:
"Unfortunately, the way this has been dealt with is extremely insulting… I was hoping dealings would be classier than this."
Salah has his own sponsorship deal with telecoms firm Vodafone.
Rival company "we", the official sponsor of the Egyptian national team, provided the jet to the team.
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The breach of that contract could potentially cost the Egypt international millions of dollars.
Ramy Issa, Salah's agent and lawyer, said the image, as well as other advertisements, had not been authorised by his client.
In another tweet, Issa claimed that Salah's image could not be used without written consent from the firm that owns the rights to the image.
Egypt are just over a month away from competing at the World Cup finals for the first time in 28 years and they will do well to stop the razzmatazz surrounding their top player spiralling out of control.
Salah is dubbed the "Egyptian King" by fans after scoring so many goals in all competitions for Liverpool and becoming PFA Player of the Year.
Egypt's youth and sports minister, Khaled Abd Elaziz, said on Twitter:
"Especially since Egypt is going to participate in the 2018 World Cup… Mohamed Salah is an idol for the Egyptian youth and loyal to his homeland and represents his country in Europe in the best way."
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Elaziz said he would make sure Salah "gets everything he needs" and would ensure he fulfils all of his contracts.
Salah has also gained himself the nickname the "Happiness Maker" amongst Egyptian fans after a series of investments in his small hometown, Nagrig, a farming village in Gharbia.
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Maher Shtayeh, the mayor of Nagrig, told AFP: "Mohamed loves his village a lot. And Mohamed enjoys and blooms when he comes back from Europe to find his village and the good people around him."
Salah has donated money to buy hospital equipment, renovate schools and build an ambulance unit in his village.
Salah donated £205,000 to a state-run fund called Tahya Masr [Long Live Egypt], which is aimed at financing development programmes in Egypt.