Mohamed Salah's start at Trabzonspor has been thrown into turmoil after manager Fatih Tekke resigned moments after the club's Europa League play-off defeat to Ferencvaros on Thursday night. Salah's side were beaten 4-0 in Hungary, having already lost the first leg 1-0 at home.
Heavy defeat spells end for Tekke
The former Liverpool forward was substituted just after the hour mark as Trabzonspor were knocked out of the Europa League and dropped into the Conference League. The Turkish club had invested heavily in experienced European talent, and Salah was not the only former Premier League player in the starting line-up.
On-loan Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana started in goal, while ex-Manchester City defender Stefan Savic and former Southampton striker Paul Onuachu were also named in Tekke's team.
Manager quits live on air
The comprehensive defeat proved to be the final straw for Tekke, who announced his resignation during his post-match television interview. Speaking live on air, he said: "I am resigning from a very honourable position. Today's defeat is unacceptable. Misfortunes and bad luck are all acceptable, but I cannot accept this. I cannot sleep with this feeling. May everyone forgive me. We did our best."
He added: "We had a very sad night. Of course, the reason is me and my team. It was a sad night for both our country and our club. Until the red card, it seemed like a match that would go well. As a result, we couldn't qualify for the Europa League. For 18 months, day and night, my team and I have been thinking about how we can do better."
Salah's arrival overshadowed
Salah, who left Liverpool at the end of the season after agreeing to terminate his contract, arrived in Turkey to much fanfare earlier this month. After signing a two-year deal, he said: "The last couple of days, it's an experience I have never had in my life. 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."
The 34-year-old departed Anfield having lifted two Premier League titles, a Champions League, an FA Cup and two Carabao Cups.
