Salah captain of Trabzonspor? Turkish journalist: his role is bigger than that
"Salah is not a conventional captain who wears an armband, but rather a voice that is heard and an influential presence inside Trabzonspor." That is how local analysts described him, pointing out that his value to the side goes beyond goals and extends to his role in bringing his teammates together and supporting head coach Thomas Reis.
Those words came on a television debate dissecting how Trabzonspor held firm against Samsunspor with ten men, and what that spirit says about their place in the Turkish title race.
Trabzonspor won that one 3-0 on Saturday at Samsunspor's stadium. Salah teed up the third goal before making way in the 77th minute.
An important reaction
Trabzonspor's latest developments came under the microscope on "Sports Hour", broadcast on 61saat TV, with the panel dissecting how the side coped after finishing part of their match against Samsunspor with ten men. Mohamed Salah's role in the team and the club's standing in the title race also came up for discussion.
Cagri Aktas, correspondent for the 61saat website, said: "Trabzonspor, despite playing with ten men, looked as though they were making up for their physical shortcomings. Head coach Thomas Reis spoke with Salah for two minutes, and it was a special meeting."
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Serkan Genc, director of sports affairs at local channel Kadirga, turned to how Trabzonspor managed the situation once they were down to ten. "It was interesting to see how a team reduced to ten men would behave in such a difficult situation," he said. "The team may face similar situations again. Their reaction against their opponent was important, and we saw that they held firm against them."
An unprecedented figure: Salah imposes himself on the history of the Turkish league
Salah is more than just a player
On Mohamed Salah's role at Trabzonspor, Gunc said the Egyptian star stands out not only for his goalscoring contributions but also for his leadership on the pitch, adding: "Salah at Trabzonspor is more than just a footballer. Alongside his contribution in front of goal, he is hugely important to the collective work and to lifting the spirit of his team-mates. He is a role model for the young players. He is not the team's captain (officially), but he is the coach's right-hand man on the pitch. He is a major asset, and it is important to make use of his experience."
Salah's reaction towards Melih Kabasakal after the sending-off told Gunc plenty about the squad's unity. "His reaction to what happened to Melih shows that. It indicates that the collective work has reached a certain level."
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Holding onto that spirit over the coming weeks matters just as much, Gunc stressed. He said: This is very, very important in the weeks ahead. When the collective work and the fighting together are missing, that does not lead you to success.
As for the title race, he said: The competition continues whatever the circumstances. And when assessing the performances of the teams competing for the championship, Trabzonspor are one of the leading candidates to win the title."
Trabzonspor now sit fifth in the Turkish league table with 13 points after seven rounds, level with fourth-placed Fenerbahce. Leaders Galatasaray are just three points clear, and Trabzonspor thrashed them 4-0 in the sixth round before the international break thanks to a Salah hat-trick.
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