When Mohamed Salah stepped off a plane in Istanbul last August, wearing Trabzonspor's burgundy and blue, thousands of fans erupted. That kit sold out within hours. Later, as he prepared to travel to Trabzon to finalize his move, he asked what to wear. The club president suggested the black away kit. It, too, vanished from shelves. From the moment the 34-year-old arrived in this historic Black Sea port, adoration has only swelled.
A City Transformed
"I went to the airport in Istanbul to see him, and it was surreal," says Nisa Dumangoz. "I still can't believe he is one of us." Walk through Trabzon on matchday, and Salah's face is everywhere: on scarves, magnets, keyrings, even the walls of fishmongers. The club shop's ground floor is dedicated to the Egyptian; everything else is upstairs. Season ticket sales have skyrocketed. "Nine out of every 10 fans wearing a shirt have Salah's name on the back," says Turkish football journalist Hasan Tuncel. "The 10th has their own." Merchandise revenue has already surpassed last year's total in just three months.
Accessible for the Arab World
For many supporters across the Arab world, Liverpool was hard to reach and tickets were scarce. Trabzon is far more accessible, with new flights from Cairo, Dubai, and Riyadh since Salah's arrival. On a flight from Istanbul, we meet an Egyptian family of 10 coming for Trabzonspor's UEFA Conference League game against Freiburg. "He is our ambassador and our Egyptian King," says Mahmoud. "And with how many people want to come to Turkey now, he is their ambassador too." At the game, a group of Egyptian celebrities and influencers with a combined Instagram following of about five million are in attendance. Trabzonspor have three million followers; Salah has 68 million.
Commercial and Sporting Impact
Salah recently hiked in the Trabzon highlands and posed on a rock. That rock has been renamed Salahtasi (Salah's Rock) and is now a tourist destination. The commercial impact is undeniable, but on the pitch, Salah is driving Trabzonspor's title challenge with 10 goals and five assists in all competitions. The club sits three points behind leaders Galatasaray, having won seven of their first 10 games, including victories over the table-toppers and Besiktas. For context, the Istanbul 'big three' of Galatasaray (26), Fenerbahce (19), and Besiktas (16) have won 61 league titles combined; Trabzonspor have seven. "In Turkey, he is the biggest football star after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo," says Kerim Tonyali of the Gurbetci Gencler supporters' group. Given Salah's status, Trabzonspor are quickly becoming the second club for many in Turkey and the wider Muslim world.
A New Chapter
Trabzon may be over 2,000 miles from Liverpool, but there are similarities, especially the strong sense of identity and pride. "Everywhere is Trabzon for us," is the local mantra, reflecting the unity of this city of about 800,000, only the 30th-largest in Turkey. For Salah, the financials were important (he earns about £14.6m per year plus 20% of official merchandise sales), but a key factor was the ability to focus entirely on football. Besiktas was considered after the 2026 World Cup, but after multiple calls with Trabzonspor, Salah felt they were the ideal fit, offering a life away from Istanbul's hustle. He has his own security detail and lives in the nearby town of Yomra, where a street is named after him. He employs a private chef and continues to set standards in the gym and on the training ground.
By all accounts, Salah is thriving. He enjoys Turkish coffee and is often seen leaving the ground with Ayran, a traditional yogurt drink. "Everyone wants to work with a star like Mohamed Salah," says Trabzonspor's Paul Onuachu, formerly of Southampton. "He adds so much and helps all of us. I am grateful for him. It's a blessing to play with him." Watching Salah in the flesh against Freiburg, his pace has diminished slightly from his peak, but the touch, quick feet, and sheer quality remain. His knack for getting into scoring positions persists, even if his defensive duties are limited.
Salah believes he still has plenty to offer for club and country, with aspirations to play in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, partly held in North Africa. No decision has been made on how long he will stay in Turkey, but sources in the Middle East suggest he will move to Saudi Arabia when his two-year deal expires in 2028, at age 36.
It is easy to question how Salah ended up here, especially after his infamous mixed-zone interview at Elland Road less than a year ago set his Liverpool departure in motion. "I remember looking at him when we landed in Trabzon and seeing the crowds outside and how emotional it was," says Anil Dincer, one of the lawyers involved in the move. "We already have Salah and Fabinho. So now we are waiting for Van Dijk," jokes Trabzonspor fan Serhat Sumer. Salah delivered joy to Liverpool, and the intention here is the same. This is no drift towards retirement, but a player determined to prove he still belongs at the highest level and that football still has meaning beyond trophies and money. Asked by BBC Sport if he had a message for Liverpool fans, Salah simply said "hello" and smiled. Given how rarely he spoke in the mixed zone at Anfield, it is not in his nature to talk regularly on record. Last season was his least prolific at Liverpool, but given their struggles in front of goal, it is hard to argue they have replaced one of their greatest ever players. Perhaps a time will come when Salah, Arne Slot, and Richard Hughes reveal more about the chain of events that led to his early contract termination. For now, none are at the club, and that chapter is closed.
Salah's influence, once felt across the Premier League, is now resonating on the shores of the Black Sea. He is Trabzonspor's force of nature. And the team known as the Black Sea Storm are rising, hunting for silverware with their Egyptian King.
