Since football star Mohamed Salah posted a photo of himself sitting on a small rock in a remote mountain area, more than an hour from the city of Trabzon in northeastern Turkey last month, fans have flocked to the spot to pose in the same position. This unexpected tourist attraction is just one sign of the “Salah-mania” that has gripped Turkey since the Egyptian star signed with Trabzonspor in August, after leaving the iconic English club Liverpool. His arrival gave a much-needed boost to the morale of Turkish football fans, which had been damaged months earlier when the Turkish national team was eliminated from the World Cup without scoring a single goal.
“God willing, we will win the title with him this year,” said Sinan Mor, who attended a Trabzonspor match against Besiktas. Associated Press journalists counted 46 visitors at “Salah’s rock” within two hours. Mustafa Bektas, a 44-year-old Trabzon fan, travelled from Sakarya to pose on the rock, stressing that the presence of a global superstar in a remote mountain village means a great deal to them. Typically, a world star moving from the English Premier League to a lower-level European league marks the decline of a career. But for Salah, the transfer from Liverpool to Trabzonspor at age 34 marked a new dawn, after a disappointing recent campaign in England.
Since his transfer to Trabzonspor, fans and commentators say Salah has rediscovered his goalscoring instinct, with teammates strengthening his strengths and an entire city turning into a fan club. Almost all seats at the Trabzonspor stadium, which has a capacity of over 41,000, were filled on Monday. On Google Maps, the club’s stadium has already been labelled “Mohamed Salah Camii” – or mosque – a sign of the almost religious fervour of his fans. Muralist Yildiray Yildirim has received numerous requests for Salah-themed murals outside local businesses.
In the 71st minute, Salah scored one of the goals that gave his team victory in the derby and made him the top scorer in the Turkish Süper Lig. The chants “Allah Allah Allah, Mohamed Salah” and “Trabzonlu Mohamed Salah” rang out from the stands after the goal. Nigerian defender Chibuike Nwaiwu praised Salah as a player of the highest class who brings a lot of quality to the team. Trabzonspor’s social media accounts gained one million new followers after Salah’s signing, and new direct flights were launched between Cairo and Trabzon in August, anticipating demand from Egyptian tourists.
Travel agent Ibrahim Eyupoglu has sold packages that include a ticket to a Trabzonspor match, a trip to the rock and team merchandise, stressing that “before Salah, even derby matches were played in empty stands. Now they are always full.” Mustapha Sabbagh, a 73-year-old from Lebanon, travelled for two days to Trabzon to see Salah, saying: “Salah is the love of my heart. He has a magical touch.” Besiktas fans also expressed their admiration, even though talks over his transfer to their club collapsed due to disagreements over the agent’s commission. Muhammed Mert Murat, a 22-year-old Besiktas fan, admitted: “Unfortunately, I like his football very much. He is a star.”
Taken from AP News