A two word message sparks controversy.. Did Mohamed Salah mock the Beşiktaş president after his deadly goal?

Mohamed Salah has reignited controversy surrounding his failed summer transfer to Beşiktaş after posting a sarcastic message referencing 35%, just hours after scoring in Trabzonspor's 2-0 victory over the Istanbul club.

The 34 year old Egyptian international attracted widespread attention on Tuesday 20 October when he shared photographs of his goal celebration on social media accompanied by a brief message in Turkish.

The post appeared to reference previous allegations made by Beşiktaş president Serdal Adalı against Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas, during negotiations over a potential transfer last summer.

Salah's message came after he helped Trabzonspor defeat Beşiktaş at Papara Park on Monday 19 October adding another chapter to a transfer controversy that had already generated considerable debate in Turkish football.

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What did Mohamed Salah say about Beşiktaş?

Salah published photographs from the match on his official X account with the caption:

"Yüzde otuz beş 😉"

The Turkish phrase translates to "Thirty five percent", accompanied by a winking emoji.

The original post shared on 20 October quickly attracted attention because of its apparent connection to Adalı's previous comments about the financial demands involved in Salah's proposed move to Beşiktaş.

Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet interpreted the message as a reference to the club president while other outlets reported similar reactions.

Although Salah did not explicitly mention Beşiktaş or Adalı in his caption, the timing and wording were widely interpreted as a sarcastic response to the earlier transfer dispute.

The Egyptian forward has not provided a further public explanation of the message.

Why did Mohamed Salah's transfer to Beşiktaş collapse?

The controversy began in July 2026 when Beşiktaş attempted to sign Salah following his departure from Liverpool.

During negotiations, Adalı accused the player's representative, Ramy Abbas, of substantially increasing his financial demands.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Winwin on 19 July, the Beşiktaş president claimed that Salah had initially agreed to join the club before the negotiations encountered difficulties.

According to Adalı, Abbas increased his requested commission to approximately 35%, a figure the Turkish club considered unacceptable.

The president also claimed that he did not believe Salah was aware of the alleged financial demands.

However, those claims reflected Beşiktaş's account of the negotiations, and the alleged commission has not been independently verified.

As Foot Africa previously reported when Beşiktaş denied reaching a transfer agreement, the Istanbul club had already publicly disputed reports suggesting that Salah's arrival was imminent.

The Egyptian eventually joined Trabzonspor on a free transfer, leaving Beşiktaş without the high profile signing.

Ramy Abbas had already mocked the 35% allegation

Salah's latest message is not the first time the controversial figure has resurfaced.

In August, his agent Ramy Abbas responded humorously to the allegations during an exchange with the Egyptian forward on social media.

Abbas shared a photograph of the pair enjoying baklava in Turkey, prompting Salah to ask who had eaten both portions.

The agent replied that he had eaten his own share and 35% of Salah's while the player was not looking.

As Foot Africa detailed in its report on the baklava exchange, the joke was widely interpreted as a sarcastic reference to Adalı's accusations.

The latest social media post therefore revives a dispute that had already become a recurring subject of discussion between Salah's representatives and Turkish football supporters.

Salah scores against Beşiktaş and takes Süper Lig goalscoring lead

The timing of Salah's message was particularly significant because of his performance against the club he had been linked with during the summer.

Trabzonspor secured a 2-0 victory in the eighth round of the Turkish Süper Lig on 19 October.

Ozan Tufan opened the scoring in the 21st minute before Salah doubled the hosts' advantage in the 71st.

The Egyptian finished a move created by Guinea-Bissau international Franculino Djú, securing an important victory for Thomas Reis's team.

The goal took Salah's league tally to eight placing him at the top of the Süper Lig goalscoring standings following the match.

The performance followed an impressive start to his Trabzonspor career which had already included a goal and an assist during the club's 4-2 Conference League victory over KuPS.

Foot Africa had previously examined the significance of Salah facing Beşiktaş after their failed transfer negotiations.

His goal subsequently gave that storyline additional significance, particularly when followed by the provocative social media message.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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