The story behind Mohamed Salah's new Trabzonspor number

Following his official unveiling by Trabzonspor on Wednesday, Mohamed Salah sparked widespread fan debate by wearing a number 61 shirt in his announcement video before selecting his actual squad number.

Read Also: The Salah effect: Trabzonspor make a bold move to sign former Liverpool player

The meaning behind the number 61

Trabzonspor officially announced the arrival of the Egyptian forward as a free agent following the conclusion of his historic tenure with Liverpool.

In the official unveiling media, the 34 year old was featured wearing a shirt displaying the number 61 triggering speculation among supporters accustomed to seeing the winger wear traditional frontline numbers.

However, Turkish media reports quickly clarified that 61 is not Salah's designated squad number. Instead, the number 61 represents the official vehicle license plate and postal code for the city of Trabzon.

The club frequently incorporates the symbolic number into major announcements and marketing campaigns to reflect local civic pride.

Muci vacates number 10 for Egyptian star

According to Turkish newspaper Sabah, Salah initially considered selecting the number 11 shirt, the digit he wore throughout his nine year stay at Anfield and previously at Roma.

However, the forward made a late decision to select the number 10 shirt aligning his club squad number with the jersey he wears for the Egypt national team.

To accommodate the high-profile arrival, Albanian midfielder Ernest Muci voluntarily relinquished the number 10 shirt allowing his new teammate to claim the iconic number for the upcoming campaign.

A history of Salah’s squad numbers

Salah’s selection of the number 10 adds another distinct entry to his career jersey history across Europe and North Africa:

• El Mokawloon (31): Assigned a high squad number upon his promotion to the first team in Egypt
  
• FC Basel (22): Selected 22 during his European breakthrough in Swiss football
  
• Chelsea (15): Wore 15 during his first spell in the Premier League
  
• Fiorentina (74): Chose 74 as a tribute to the 74 Al Ahly supporters who lost their lives in the 2012 Port Said stadium disaster
  
• Roma & Liverpool (11): Adopted 11, the number with which he established his legacy as a legendary scorer in modern European football

Analytical view: The symbolism behind the shirt numbers

Trabzonspor’s initial promotion featuring the number 61 was a deliberate marketing effort designed to resonate with the local Black Sea fan base. By transitioning to the number 10 jersey on the pitch, Salah assumes a symbolic role as the team's primary attacking focal point.

Muci’s willingness to hand over the number further underscores the immense respect and standing Salah commands within the dressing room upon his arrival in Turkey.

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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