Salah mania grips Trabzon as Egyptian forward drives Trabzonspor title push
Mohamed Salah's move to Trabzonspor has sparked merchandise sell-outs, new flights and a Super Lig title challenge, with fans in Trabzon embracing the Egyptian forward as one of their own.
Mohamed Salah's arrival at Trabzonspor has transformed the Black Sea port city, where his face appears on everything from fishmonger walls to scarves, magnets and keyrings sold outside the stadium. Trabzonspor's burgundy and blue home kit sold out almost instantly when he landed in Istanbul, and the black away kit followed, with the club surpassing last year's merchandise revenue within three months of his arrival. Season ticket sales also rose sharply after the transfer.
Supporters describe the reception as surreal. "I still can't believe that he is one of us," said Nisa Dumangoz, who travelled to Istanbul to greet him. Turkish football journalist Hasan Tuncel estimated that nine out of every 10 fans wearing a shirt in Trabzon have Salah's name on the back. Kerim Tonyali of the supporters' group Gurbetci Gencler called him Turkey's biggest football star after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The signing has widened Trabzonspor's reach beyond Turkey. New flights from Cairo, Dubai and Riyadh have been introduced since Salah arrived, and the local airport is busier. An Egyptian family of 10 flew from Cairo for the Uefa Conference League game against Freiburg, where a group of Egyptian celebrities and influencers with a combined Instagram following of about five million were also present. Salah's own following stands at 68 million, compared with Trabzonspor's three million.
On the pitch, Salah has 10 goals and five assists in all competitions. Trabzonspor have won seven of their first 10 league games, including victories over leaders Galatasaray and Besiktas, and trail Galatasaray by three points. The Istanbul 'big three' of Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas have won 61 league titles combined, against Trabzonspor's seven.
Away from football, Salah lives in nearby Yomra, where a street carries his name, and has his own security detail and a private chef. A rock in the Trabzon highlands where he posed for a picture has been renamed Salahtasi, or Salah's Rock, and become a tourist destination. Teammate Paul Onuachu, formerly of Southampton, said it is "a blessing to play with him" and that Salah helps the whole squad.
Salah is reported to earn about £14.6m per year plus 20% of official merchandise sold with his name. The article states that Besiktas was considered as an option after the 2026 World Cup, but Salah chose Trabzonspor partly for the chance to focus on football away from Istanbul. No decision has been made on how long he will stay, though Middle East sources reportedly believe he will move to Saudi Arabia when his two-year deal expires in 2028.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
