DYNAMO
Italians on alert over supporters Kop legend Rush hopes ‘modest’ Salah smashes his goal record in the Champions League Final
LIVERPOOL GOAL MACHINE STANDS ON BRINK
ITALIAN police chiefs last night accused Liverpool supporters of planning to join forces with Lazio hooligans in a bid to wreak revenge in Rome this week.
Around 5,000 Reds’ fans will travel to Italy for Wednesday night’s Champions League semi-final return with Roma.
The Anfield club – 5-2 up from the first leg – already fear that their fans will be targeted by local thugs. Violent clashes before last week’s home tie ended with a Liverpool fan, 53-year-old Sean Cox, being left in a coma after he was beaten unconscious by belt-wielding visiting ultras.
And the comments of police union boss Andrea Cecchini will only add fuel to an already volatile situation.
Cecchini, spokesman for the Italia Celere – the union of the Italian state police – insisted he has access to intelligence that suggests at least 1,000 troublemakers will be travelling from England.
He said: “We have the certainty of at the arrival of at least 1,000 English ultras.
“And considering the Lazio fans have in the past already twinned with violent fan bases from the Czech Republic, Croatia and Poland, the risk of a new alliance is very high.
“When these foreign fans arrive, there is no Fan Passport, no stadium ban or anything else.”
Merseyside Police have been accused by their Italian colleagues of failing to do their duty.
Cecchini added: “In Liverpool, the police weren’t there. Even an hour and a half before kick-off, there were not even barriers to separate the opposing fans.
“Public order collapsed, they lacked planning and the visiting supporters had to walk towards the stadium unescorted in the middle of Liverpool fans.”
Liverpool have asked the Italian authorities for information about security in and around the Olympic Stadium, and whether there will be an alcohol ban.
The Merseyside club are yet to receive a response.
Salah is closing in on Kop legend Rush’s club record haul of 47 goals – and the Welshman is desperate for the Egyptian to deliver the knockout blow during the Kiev showpiece on Saturday, May 26.
Rush (right) celebrated wildly as Salah’s Champions League double against Roma in midweek took his tally to 43 in his first amazing season on Merseyside.
Rush said: “I’m fine with losing my record. If he breaks it by scoring a goal in the Champions League Final and we end up winning the trophy, I would be the happiest man in the world. “Records are there to be broken. “I broke Roger Hunt’s record and I know he was happy for me.”
Rush will be in Rome on Wednesday night for the semi-final second leg.
The trip will evoke memories of him sealing a wonderful season with Liverpool, adding the European Cup to the League Championship and League Cup in 1984.
Salah had been desperate to meet the man who has always led the way on the Liverpool goal front, amassing 346 goals during his Anfield career.
And Rush revealed: “Mo put together a video that was shown at a recent dinner in London, which Mayor of London Sadiq Khan staged, to celebrate my Liverpool career.
“In it, Mo said he hoped he would end up scoring as many goals as I did. It was a lovely gesture.
“I finally met up with him at a recent Liverpool game. He was very modest and knew all about my goals.
“He is a very humble guy, very likeable and has time for everyone.
“Wherever he goes, he seems appreciative of all the adulation. There seems no way that he will ever allow himself to get carried away with his success.
“He is so laid-back, a real gentleman. It never looks like he has been playing when you meet him after games. There’s hardly a bead of sweat or a hair out of place. It’s like he is preparing for a game, not having actually played in one.”
Rush believes that Salah’s opening goal in last week’s 5-2 win over Roma took him to new heights.
He added: “I was made up for him on Tuesday night. The first goal could have only been scored by two other players on the planet – Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Three goalkeepers placed together wouldn’t have stopped that!
“The execution was absolutely amazing. Also, during the game, not only did he score two goals, he made two as well. He’s not selfish. If someone is in a better position, he will pass to them.
“If the 47-goals mark is beaten, no problem. I know in that season I felt invincible. I went out in every game knowing I was going to score – not thinking, knowing. I can see the same in Salah. He knows he is going to score.
“It’s a contrast to the first five or six games of the season. He was then missing more chances than he scored. Everything was based around his left foot.
“Look at him now. He uses his right foot and it’s made him more direct and dangerous. Being twofooted makes a massive difference. It has made him more confident.”
The two late Roma goals took some of the gloss off the Salah-inspired Liverpool performance.
But Rush insisted: “I think they will have enough in Rome, but, at 5-2 instead of 5-0, you’re naturally more nervous going into the game. Not that Mo will be nervous.
“You can see the confidence oozing from him right now. We know that Roma beat Barcelona 3-0, so we know they can do it.
“Roma haven’t conceded a goal at home in the Champions League this season, but I do feel that Liverpool will score there.”
Rush still has goosebumps when he recalls having to take one of the penalties in Rome 34 years ago in the shoot-out that saw Joe Fagan’s side eventually overcome the odds of playing Roma in their own stadium.
He added: “The European Cup win placed the seal on a fantastic season in which we did the Treble of European Cup, League Championship and League Cup and I ended up with 47 goals.
“There’s nothing worse if you break a record, but don’t end up winning anything. Mo Salah has admitted that recently himself.
“I scored one of the penalties in the spot-kick shoot-out win, but I’ve never been more frightened in all my life.
“Walking from the halfway line to the penalty spot had to be the most nerve-racking few seconds of my career.
“You haven’t got your team-mates around you, completely by yourself with 60,000 people booing you.
“When I scored, there was not a more relieved man than me. I look back now and it’s hard to believe or take in. I wouldn’t want to go through that again.
“I wasn’t a great penalty taker. If I had taken Liverpool’s penalties, I could have ended up with 100 more goals for the club.
“Phil Neal, Graeme Souness and Jan Molby were the penalty-takers.
“I scored only four penalties – most of those were to complete a hat-trick.”