Hafid Derradji Critiques Salah’s Trabzonspor Move

Mohamed Salah’s first steps in Turkish football have already drawn fire. Not from English pundits. Not from Egyptian television. From one of North Africa’s most recognisable voices: Algerian commentator Hafid Derradji.

As Salah pulled on a Trabzonspor shirt for the first time in a 1-1 draw with Kasimpasa, coming off the bench in the 59th minute, Derradji was watching and typing. His verdict on Facebook was blunt: “What a shame.”

For Derradji, this is not about nostalgia for Liverpool. It is about what comes next. He argued that, given the status Salah carved out in Europe, the forward could have stayed at the very top of the game for several more years and chosen a club that better matched his technical ambitions.

In his view, Turkey was not the problem. The destination inside Turkey was.

Derradji suggested that a move to one of the country’s traditional powerhouses – Galatasaray or Fenerbahce – would have made far more sense for a player of Salah’s stature. Those clubs, he pointed out, bring fiercer internal competition, relentless pressure and a brighter European spotlight. They live almost permanently on the continental stage; every league game is played under the shadow of Europe.

Trabzonspor, he acknowledged, are no minnows. The Black Sea club carry serious financial muscle and enjoy passionate, nationwide support. Their stadium is full, their colours are iconic, their ambitions are real.

But Derradji believes the fit is wrong at a purely footballing level. In his eyes, the technical environment at Trabzonspor does not reflect the standard Salah set at Liverpool, where he rose into the conversation around the world’s elite. To him, this is a step that does not quite match the player’s legacy.

The criticism, though, stopped short of writing Salah off. Derradji was careful on one point: the Egyptian has not faded as a star. The talent, the aura, the ability to decide games – all of that, he insisted, remains intact. His issue is not with what Salah is, but with where Salah has chosen to test himself.

That is why this transfer has become more than a simple change of club. Salah still commands enormous attention after his turbulent, trophy-laden years at Liverpool. Every decision he makes is dissected by fans, commentators and former players who see in him both a symbol and a benchmark.

So when he lands in Trabzon, rather than at a Champions League regular, the debate starts. Did he chase comfort over challenge? Did he choose atmosphere over ambition? Or is this the platform from which he proves everyone wrong?

For now, all Derradji has offered is his sharpest version of the same question: is this really the stage Mohamed Salah should be playing on at this point in his career?