Mohamed Salah has agreed to spend the next two years of his life at Trabzonspor, 50 years after Liverpool's first European Cup meeting with the Turkish club, which left a lasting impression on the Reds' players and staff.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Back in 1976, Liverpool faced Trabzonspor in the second round of the European Cup. The trip was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Bob Paisley described the team hotel as a “doss house”, the ball as “a pig’s bladder” that “was not good enough for blow football”, and the food as worse than his “better rations in my bivvy in the Western Desert”.
David Fairclough recalled that “the hotel turned out to be right next to a prayer tower” with a “very basic public address system that wailed out across the town”, and Ray Clemence called it “the worst European trip” he ever went on, citing “rocks all over the pitch” and being woken by farm animals at 5am.
Trabzon's Transformation
Fast forward to today, and Trabzon is a different place. Lonely Planet now calls it “the most sophisticated city in the region”, albeit “somewhat louche”. The arrival of Salah has caused a frenzy, with fans mobbing the airport, just as they did when Paul Onuachu signed on loan from Southampton.
Trabzonspor president Ertugrul Dogan confirmed the transfer, saying: “He’s a global superstar. We needed a player like him. Trabzonspor’s recent success is the talk of Türkiye and of Europe. We are trying to send a message to everyone that Trabzonspor can bring whoever it wants to Trabzon.”
Fan Excitement
The club’s recent success, including winning the Turkish Cup and finishing third in the Super Lig, may have helped attract Salah, along with a reported €17m a year and image rights deals. Local fans are ecstatic. “We couldn’t sleep because of the excitement,” one told Karadeniz Gazetesi. “I believe he can add much more to Trabzon’s brand value.” Another said: “This is a huge transfer. The whole world will be talking about us. I immediately went and bought a jersey.”
