Trabzonspor: Did Mohamed Salah Make the Wrong Choice?

Despite scoring three goals in five games, the Egyptian is enduring a chaotic start with his new club

Africa Today at 06:31

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Trabzonspor: Did Mohamed Salah Make the Wrong Choice?

Mohamed Salah is delivering individually, but Trabzonspor have lost three of their opening five matches and suffered a painful Europa League exit.

Mohamed Salah’s arrival sent excitement soaring among Trabzonspor supporters. The Egyptian joined as a free agent after nine seasons at Liverpool and signed a two-year contract reportedly worth €17 million per season. However, the early results have fallen well short of the expectations created by his signing. Across their first five competitive fixtures, Trabzonspor have recorded only one win, one draw and three defeats.

A worrying team record despite Salah’s goals

Trabzonspor began their league campaign with a 1-1 draw against Kasımpaşa before losing 1-0 to Ferencváros in the first leg of their Europa League play-off. A 2-1 victory over Başakşehir provided only brief relief, as Fatih Tekke’s side were then thrashed 4-0 in Hungary. Yesterday, they suffered another setback away to Amedspor, losing 2-1 despite Salah opening the scoring in the 11th minute. Yira Sor equalised in first-half stoppage time before Gift Orban struck the winner in the 90th minute.

Trabzonspor have therefore scored four goals and conceded nine. Their first crisis erupted after the European collapse, with Tekke offering his resignation before the board rejected it. Salah, meanwhile, has featured in all five matches and scored three goals without registering an assist. Trabzonspor are out of the Europa League, but remain in Europe after dropping into the Conference League phase.

Three trophies in five seasons: too little for Salah?

Trabzonspor have won only three trophies over the past five seasons: the 2021/22 Süper Lig, the 2022 Turkish Super Cup and the 2025/26 Turkish Cup, secured with a 2-1 final victory over Konyaspor. That record is respectable, but appears modest for a proven serial winner such as Salah. Two seasons ago, he dominated the Premier League with 29 goals and 18 assists, finishing as both its leading scorer and leading provider in what is widely considered the world’s most demanding domestic championship. For now, his move to Turkey appears poorly aligned with his ambitions.

Was Turkey the right choice for Mohamed Salah?

A definitive verdict after five matches would still be premature. Salah remains the face of Trabzonspor’s project and continues to play European football. A move to Saudi Arabia would probably have offered a higher salary and, at a club such as Al-Hilal, a deeper squad. In Trabzon, however, the 34-year-old enjoys undisputed star status and a team largely built around him.

Winning the Turkish title nevertheless looks extremely difficult. Last season’s third-placed side must compete with Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş, all of whom possess considerable resources and strong squads. Trabzonspor sit 11th with four points from three league games. Salah is doing his part, but the coming weeks will reveal whether the team around him can match his standards.