Mo Salah is set to receive two special awards in Turkey after an amazing rise!
Mo Salah is about to receive two special honors in Turkey just a few months after moving there.
This past summer, after nine amazing years at Liverpool, Salah chose to join Trabzonspor in the Turkish Super Lig instead of other offers. He signed a two-year contract with the seven-time Turkish champions, becoming one of the highest-paid players in the league.
Since joining Trabzonspor, Salah hasn’t slowed down at all. He’s scored eight goals and made three assists in just 10 games. He even scored a hat-trick against Galatasaray in September, making him an instant hero.
His arrival has also brought big changes to the city of Trabzon. For example, new direct flights started between Cairo and Trabzon in August! The club’s social media has exploded with millions of new followers thanks to Salah’s global fame.
Now, it’s been revealed that Salah will be honored by Turkey. According to BBC Arabic journalist Mohamed Kaoud, Salah and his family will be granted Turkish citizenship. He’ll also receive the State Medal for Distinguished Service—a top award recognizing his huge impact on sports and tourism in Turkey.
Kaoud shared on Facebook that Turkish officials are working fast to speed up the citizenship process for Salah, his wife, and their three kids. He added that Salah will get a special medal in a big ceremony to celebrate how much he has boosted Turkey’s sports and tourism industries in such a short time.
However, Masrawy, citing a source, said there hasn’t been official contact with Salah about citizenship yet. But they did confirm he’s set to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan soon.
Trabzonspor, which also has players like Fabinho, Andre Onana, and Stefan Savic, is currently third in the league, just three points behind leaders Galatasaray, with 22 points from 10 games.
Off the field, Salah’s arrival has been huge for the club’s business. By late September, they’d sold about 116,000 shirts with his name. This led to a 152% increase in revenue, bringing in around £8 million, with Salah getting 20% from merchandise sales. These numbers are expected to keep growing as the season continues.
The club’s president, Ertugrul Dogan, said that 70% of Salah’s yearly salary is covered just from the boost in season ticket sales!
Plus, a countryside spot where Salah took a photo has become a popular tourist destination, and travel agencies are now offering special trips centered around the star player.
Salah’s move to Trabzonspor has clearly been a win-win, both on and off the pitch!