Paul Pogba Targeted by Online Racist Abuse; Mohamed Salah Weighs in on VAR.
KATE RILEY, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Hi there, welcome along to World Sport. I'm Kate Riley at the CNN Center. We start with the reaction to the number of very unsavory racist incidents in English Football. And the latest comes off the back of the English Premier League match played on Monday. The Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is the latest player to be on the receiving end of such hate. He was targeted on social media after missing a penalty against Wolves on Monday night. Well Manchester United say they utterly condemn the abuse and are working to identify those responsible. Pogba is the 3rd player after Chelsea's Tammy Abraham and Reading's Yakou Meite to be racially abused on social media after missing a penalty this season. United's defender Harry Maguire led the cause for social media to do more saying, "Disgusting, social media need to do something about it. Every account that is opened should be verified by a passport or driving license. Stop these pathetic trolls making numerous accounts to abuse people." English Football has worked hard to stomp out racism over the last 30 years but sadly, the number of reported incidents is on the rise. The kick out campaign reported a significant increase in racist incidents last season up 43 percent from the previous year. Elsewhere, we featured on the show yesterday, we are talking about video assistant referee. VAR was brought into the Champions League halfway through last season. And this season is brand new to the English Premier League, the richest league in the world. The technology seems to be getting the calls right but the beautiful game is now being analyzed and microscopic detail and not everyone likes what they see. Liverpool's Mohamed Salah is one of the top forwards in the game. He's been talking to CNN'S Becky Anderson in this exclusive interview. He tells us exactly how he feels about VAR.</s>MOHAMED SALAH, FOOTBALL PLAYER, LIVERPOOL (FW): Mohamed Salah, take one.</s>BECKY ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: What do you think of VAR?</s>SALAH: Don't like it. But that's my answer always.</s>ANDERSON: Why?</s>SALAH: I love the football, how it is. It's OK. Sometimes it's to protect the players from dangerous play. But for me I accept the football with the mistakes with the referee and mistakes of the player. That's how the football get more exciting. That's the part of the people get more tension on about it. But the VAR is too fair. Last year, I had a penalty in the final Champions League and it helped me a lot but it's too fair. We like it with the mistakes.</s>ANDERSON: It's interesting that you say too fair.</s>SALAH: Yes.</s>ANDERSON: You think the game needs a little bit of an edge?</s>SALAH: Of course. That's how the football -- how everyone likes football.</s>ANDERSON: So what do you think the impact of VAR is going to be on the game?</s>SALAH: More penalties for me. You will see that.</s>ANDERSON: Which quite possibly might help you win the golden boot again this year.</s>SALAH: Of course I want it but for me, the team trophy comes first.</s>ANDERSON: Team trophy comes first.</s>SALAH: Especially the Premier League.</s>ANDERSON: Even if you got a third boot in a row?</s>SALAH: No, it's fine. I will get a third in maybe next year. It's fine.</s>ANDERSON: You, Mane and Firmino scored a combined 113 goals in the last two seasons. How key is that trio to Liverpool?</s>SALAH: It's a teamwork, so yes, maybe we scored the most goals for Liverpool but I can't take that from the other players because really they work really hard, they defend a lot, they gave us each ball and we always try to make the defend. The most important thing is like keep winning, keep winning, keep winning and the goals will come.</s>ANDERSON: You played 11 months in a row with practically, well, no pre-season and very little training. Our footballers asked to do too much, are you knockers is what I'm asking?</s>SALAH: That's what makes football so excited. People loved the football, the pitch and everything so I'm happy to play each game. I don't want to even rest one game. So I'm happy to play for a long time. Even if it was 12 months I would play.</s>ANDERSON: There is a huge expectation on footballers at your level. Are these expectations at times too high or do you feel they're entirely appropriate?</s>SALAH: If you play in a club as like Liverpool, there's always big expectation. You have to win something. So that's -- there is always expectation high in the football. If it's not from yourselves, from the people because they want to see the club winning something.</s>ANDERSON: What's the message at the beginning of the season to you lot from Jurgen Klopp?</s>SALAH: Keep working hard and if you want to win another thing, you have to work harder than maybe the last season and you have to really be humble. And OK, the Champions League is over, it was last year so forget it, fight for the new trophy again this season.</s>ANDERSON: Ninety-seven points and you were a point shy of winning the league. That's tough isn't it? Does it feel like a long road ahead at the beginning of this season?</s>SALAH: I think yes but, you know, we're playing as Manchester City, we know we -- I think both the same level at the moment. So we just need to focus on our game, not their game. As much as you can each game, it's going to be OK. Like last season I think that you lost -- we lost only one game, only one game so this season we have to focus on ourselves not to lose any game.</s>RILEY: Yes and many thanks to Mo and Becky there. Meanwhile, it's heating up ahead of next year's Olympics in Japan. And when we say heating up, we mean literally.