Mohamed Salah caught up in new controversy as his boots go on display at the British Museum

Alex Broun 12:50 21/05/2018
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  • Mohamed Salah's boots - a modern artefact

    Liverpool goal-scoring machine Mohamed Salah has been caught up in an unwanted controversy just days out from the Champions League final as a pair of his boots have been put on display among priceless Egyptian artefacts at the British Museum.

    The 25-year-old Egyptian – who set a new Premier League scoring record with 32 goals this season – has had his boots put on display in arguably the finest ancient Egyptian collection outside of the country itself.

    The donation – by adidas – is to celebrate Salah’s winning the Premier League Golden Boot.

    “This acquisition brings the British Museum’s world-famous Egyptian collection right up to date,” purred Neal Spencer, the British Museum’s Keeper of Ancient Egypt and Sudan.

    “The boots tell a story of a modern Egyptian icon, performing in the UK, with a truly global impact.

    “Displayed amidst the statues of ancient pharaohs, we now show the boots with which Mo Salah won the Golden Boot for Liverpool.”

    Salah is not finished yet, though, as he heads to the Champions League final on Saturday in Kyiv against holders Real Madrid and thence to Russia leading Egypt’s line in their first World Cup appearance in 28 years.

    “This acquisition builds on our recent project to acquire objects to tell the story of day-to-day life in 20th and 21st century Egypt,” said Spencer.

    “From sport, to entertainment, worldwide trade to design, this collection is now accessible to all – like those from other periods of Egypt’s rich history.”

    However not all have responded to the new exhibit so positively.

    Egyptian archaeologist and former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs Zahi Hawas condemned putting Salah’s shoe next to the Pharaonic artefacts.

    “I completely refuse this decision,” he told Al-Masry Al-Youm. “Despite my love for the player, it is completely inappropriate to have his shoe displayed between Pharaonic monuments, because these are sacred pieces.”

    “If the British Museum wanted to honor Salah, it should have built a museum for him or put the shoe in a special room.”

    The boots are on display this week in the run up to the Champions league final and will be displayed next to footwear from ancient Egypt and adjacent to a selection of gold pharaonic jewellery.

    In 2016, the British Museum launched its Modern Egypt Project to bolster its collection of contemporary material from modern Egypt.

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