Turkish media give tough review to Mo Salah after his first full game for Trabzonspor
Mohamed Salah made his first full appearance for Trabzonspor on Thursday night, but things didn’t go quite as he hoped. After an emotional farewell from Liverpool at the end of June—where he became a true club legend over nine years—Salah took some time after the World Cup to think about his next step. In early August, he signed a two-year deal with Turkish giants Trabzonspor.
His arrival was met with lots of excitement, and he made his debut in a 1-1 draw against Kasimpasa, coming off the bench in the 58th minute. Turkish fans and media praised his short time on the pitch, especially when he nearly scored with a close-range volley just wide of the post.
On Thursday, Salah got another chance to shine when he started in the first leg of Trabzonspor’s Europa League play-off against Ferencvaros. Playing in front of a loud home crowd at Akyazi Stadium, Salah couldn’t stop the team from losing 1-0 after an early red card left them with 10 men.
It was a tough night, and now Trabzonspor have to turn things around next Thursday to move forward in the Europa League. Some Turkish fans and media were critical of Salah’s performance. Sozcu shared mixed feelings from supporters, with some saying Salah isn’t the same as before and worried the move was a mistake, while others believe he’ll find his best form soon.
The same outlet called his start to the season “disappointing” and said he didn’t meet expectations in his first home match. Canli Yayin also noted that Salah has split fans by not delivering much in his first two games. On the other hand, Fanatik praised Ferencvaros for marking Salah so tightly that it was hard for him to get going, though they also acknowledged Salah’s strong effort to break free.
Salah joined Trabzonspor late and still needs time to fully gel with his new teammates. But it feels like it’s just a matter of time before he shows why he’s one of the best, dazzling defenses with his amazing left foot.
Fans will be watching closely when Trabzonspor hosts Istanbul Basaksehir on Sunday (August 27). Salah is ready to make his second start for the club. Basaksehir, led by former Liverpool midfielder Nuri Sahin, finished fifth in the Super Lig last season, while Trabzonspor hope Salah’s skill can help them win the league after coming third last year, eight points behind champions Galatasaray.