Mohamed Salah Takes Charge at Trabzonspor After Europa League Exit

Mohamed Salah has moved quickly to steady the ship at Trabzonspor after a brutal Europa League exit and a dramatic, rejected resignation from his manager.

The former Liverpool forward, who left Anfield in the summer and arrived in Turkey to huge expectation, watched his new side crumble 4-0 against Ferencvaros on Thursday night. Hooked after 64 minutes and powerless to prevent the collapse, he walked off into a storm that only intensified once the final whistle blew.

Tekke tries to walk, Trabzonspor say no

In the press conference that followed, head coach Fatih Tekke stunned reporters by announcing he was resigning.

"I think I have the right to punish myself in this way," he said, laying the blame at his own door after the heavy defeat dumped Trabzonspor out of the Europa League and into the Conference League.

The club hierarchy refused to let him go. Within hours, Trabzonspor released a firm statement confirming Tekke would stay put.

"Fatih Tekke has decided to resign due to the emotional intensity caused by the defeat following the Ferencvaros match," it read. "As the Trabzonspor Board of Directors, Fatih Tekke's resignation decision has not been accepted. Fatih Tekke continues in his role and will be at the helm of our team in the Amedspor match we will play in the league."

So the coach remains. The European campaign, at least at Europa League level, does not.

Salah steps forward

Into that chaos stepped Salah, now 34, with a message that sounded less like damage control and more like a personal manifesto.

"Nothing in my career ever came easy," he posted on X. "Bad nights and disappointments are part of football, and I have learned to turn them into motivation and into trophies.

"Trabzonspor is my club, and I am part of this project, body and soul. Last night will not change that. I know expectations are high, and I truly believe we can and will deliver. ‘I came here to win’ is not just a slogan to me."

It was a clear attempt to draw a line under the humiliation and the managerial drama, and to remind supporters why his arrival was greeted with such noise in the first place.

A new chapter under pressure

Salah ended his Liverpool career at the close of last season after agreeing to terminate his contract, then chose Trabzonspor after the World Cup as his next stage. The Turkish club won the race for his signature and unveiled him on a two-year deal to scenes that underlined just how much he is expected to transform their fortunes.

At his presentation, he made his intentions plain.

"The last couple of days, it's an experience I have never had in my life," he said. "I'm here to win. I want to win something with this club because you guys have showed me so much love, and I really, really appreciate that."

Those words now carry extra weight. Trabzonspor have taken a heavy punch early in the season, their manager has tried to fall on his sword, and the club has refused to let him. The Conference League awaits, the league campaign rolls on, and Salah has nailed his colours to the mast.

The question now is simple: can he turn this bruising start into the kind of response his career has so often delivered?