Hafid Derradji Critiques Mohamed Salah's Trabzonspor Move: 'What a Shame'

Mohamed Salah’s first steps in Turkish football have already sparked a storm of opinion, and it’s not coming from England or Egypt this time. It’s coming from North Africa.

Algerian commentator Hafid Derradji has gone in hard on the Egyptian star’s decision to join Trabzonspor, arguing that a player of Salah’s stature should still be operating at the very top tier of European competition.

On Facebook, Derradji did not bother to dress it up. “What a shame,” he wrote after watching Salah’s debut for the Black Sea club. In his view, the former Liverpool forward had more than enough left in the tank to stay at the highest level and choose a club that better matched his technical ambitions.

“He could have aimed higher”

Derradji’s criticism isn’t about money or fame. It’s about footballing level and competitive edge.

He believes Salah could have stretched his elite career for several more years and that, if the destination had to be Turkey, the profile should have been bigger. A move to Galatasaray or Fenerbahce, he argued, would have thrown Salah into a more intense environment: fiercer competition, heavier pressure, and a stronger European platform.

Trabzonspor are no minnows. They carry serious financial weight and command a passionate fan base. Their name still resonates in Turkish football. Yet Derradji insists that, from a purely technical standpoint, the choice falls short of the standard Salah set at Liverpool, where he climbed into the bracket of the world’s biggest stars.

Debut under scrutiny

The comments came on the back of Trabzonspor’s opening league fixture of the new Turkish season, a 1-1 draw with Kasimpasa. All eyes were on Salah as he pulled on his new shirt for the first time, entering the pitch in the 59th minute.

The performance itself was less the story than the symbolism. This was the moment many fans fully processed the idea of Salah trading Anfield nights and Champions League knockouts for a different kind of challenge on the Black Sea coast. For Derradji, that contrast is exactly the issue.

Star power intact, questions remain

Despite the sharp tone of his remarks, the Algerian analyst did not suggest Salah is finished. On the contrary, he underlined that the Egyptian’s glow has not faded. The criticism lies in the route chosen, not in the player’s current level.

Salah still commands huge attention after his dramatic, trophy-laden years at Liverpool. Every transfer link, every decision, every new shirt he wears becomes a debate. This move is no different. It has drawn intense interest from supporters, pundits and fellow professionals who see one of the modern game’s defining forwards stepping into a new phase.

Derradji’s view is clear: Salah could have chased a bigger technical test, a stage that matched the heights he once reached in England. Instead, he has picked Trabzonspor.

Whether that choice proves to be a misstep or the start of an unexpected, defiant final act will be written in the months to come, under the floodlights of the Turkish Super Lig.