Mohamed Salah wanted to play at this month's Olympic Games in Tokyo only for Liverpool to refuse permission, the chairman of Egypt's FA has said.
Clubs are not obliged to release players as the men's Olympic football tournament is not on the Fifa match calendar, although rivals Manchester United have released Ivorians Eric Bailly and Amad Diallo.
"We started talking with them a long time ago because Salah wanted to play the Olympic Games, but Liverpool were unclear," Ahmed Megahed told BBC Sport Africa.
"I knew in June they would not let him go. Anyway we respect their decision.