‘I cannot accept the lie’ – Banished Liverpool hero left without club | Football | Sport
Mamadou Sakho in action for Liverpool (Image: VI-Images, VI-Images via Getty Images)
Liverpool cult hero Mamadou Sakho famously turned to Snapchat to tell his side of the story after being exiled to the youth team by Jurgen Klopp. The French defender, now 35, officially hung up his boots last month after being without a club since May 2025. Sakho was snapped up by former boss Brendan Rodgers in September 2013 in an attempt to bolster Liverpool’s defence. The £18million signing from Paris Saint-Germain became the club’s most expensive centre-back at that point.
By September 2013, the then 23-year-old had already earned 14 caps for France. Liverpool supporters had sky-high expectations, to put it mildly. Sakho’s first season nearly saw the Reds clinch their first Premier League crown in almost 25 years. However, he only played 18 league matches as Liverpool’s defence conceded 50 goals, which ultimately denied them the title. The French star faced fierce criticism. He looked uncertain on the ball, awkward in tackles and never truly won over Rodgers.
Following Rodgers’ sacking in October 2015 and Jurgen Klopp’s appointment as manager, Sakho was named in the German’s first Liverpool starting XI against Spurs as he earned the new boss’s confidence.
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Sakho was a standout performer in the Europa League that season, helping Liverpool reach the final. He famously netted a goal in the remarkable 4-3 comeback against Borussia Dortmund in the semi-final at Anfield.
He later endeared himself to fans with his declaration that he puts himself on the line for “the Liverpool country”. The centre-back was enjoying a surge of popularity with the Kop, but it was about to come crashing down.
In April 2016, Sakho was hit by a severe doping suspension. He chose not to take a second test after the initial sample detected a fat-burning substance, leading to a 30-day ban which was later overturned on appeal.
Sakho starred for the Reds in the Europa League back in 2016 (Image: Clive Brunskill, Getty Images)
He would later win substantial damages from the World Anti-Doping Agency after it was found that higenamine was not banned by WADA. This devastating saga ruled him out of the Europa League final with Sevilla and France’s squad for the European Championships that summer.
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From then on, Sakho’s career in Merseyside took a downward turn. After the ban, he returned hoping for a fresh start, intending to quietly challenge the World Anti-Doping Agency while resuming his playing career.
Despite being cleared in July and receiving an apology from WADA, his chance to rebuild during Liverpool’s pre-season tour of America fell flat.
Sakho’s troubles at Anfield escalated when he had a disagreement with Klopp while receiving treatment for an Achilles problem in America. His behaviour at the training camp raised concerns, leading Klopp to promptly send him back to Merseyside.
The defender’s actions in California were the final straw for Klopp, who had run out of patience. Sakho was relegated to the Under-23s and never played for the first team again.
In August, WADA announced they would not challenge UEFA’s decision to clear Sakho. He was then told that a loan move was necessary if he wanted to continue playing at the top level.
In a 3am Snapchat post, he expressed his frustration about his situation. He wrote: “Now it’s 3 weeks I am fit to play games.” and “I finish[ed] all my rehabilitation work.
“They don’t want me to play also with the segonde team (U23s) lol! Why? I don’t know. [I am] Still working hard like [a] Scouse soldier! Still not talking [because] I want to speak on the pitch…I will speak soon for the people who support and me and don’t understand the situation.”
Mamadou Sakho and Jurgen Klopp’s relationship was tested at Liverpool (Image: 2015 Liverpool FC)
He added: “I accept my situation but I can’t accept the lie…The fans deserve to know the truth! Thanks for your support.” By January 2017, Sakho left Liverpool, securing a loan move to Crystal Palace.
Sakho’s performances in south London were so outstanding that the Eagles even smashed their transfer record to sign him permanently in the summer of 2017, splashing out a hefty £25m.
He left in the summer of 2022. Sakho subsequently played for Montpellier and finally for Torpedo Kutaisi in the Georgian top flight before bringing his eventful career to a close earlier this year.
