Trabzonspor has turned down the emotionally charged resignation of head coach Fatih Tekke following the Turkish club’s recent exit from the Europa League. The team, which brought Mohamed Salah on board during the summer, suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Ferencvaros in Hungary, resulting in a 5-0 aggregate loss in the play-off tie.
After the match, Tekke, who guided Trabzonspor to a third-place finish in the league last season, submitted his resignation. However, the club declined his resignation on Friday, stating that the 48-year-old’s decision was influenced by the “intense emotional impact” of their Europa League elimination.
Salah acknowledged the disappointment of the loss against Ferencvaros but expressed his belief that Trabzonspor “will deliver.” He shared his thoughts on X, stating, “Nothing in my career ever came easy. Bad nights and disappointments are part of football, and I have learned to transform them into motivation and success.”
“Trabzonspor is my club, and I am deeply committed to this project. Last night’s defeat will not alter that commitment,” he added. “I understand the high expectations, and I firmly believe we can and will achieve great things. For me, the phrase ‘I came here to win’ is not just a catchphrase.”
This season, Trabzonspor will participate in the Europa Conference League, facing Scottish team Hearts among their six opponents. The seven-time Turkish champions have been active in the summer transfer market, welcoming Premier League champions Salah and Fabinho, as well as re-signing Andre Onana on loan from Manchester United.
Salah, 34, made the surprising decision to join Trabzonspor last month after parting ways with Liverpool. The Egypt international is the third-highest scorer in Liverpool’s history, trailing only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt, with an impressive tally of 257 goals in 442 appearances since his move from Roma in 2017. He scored his first two goals for Trabzonspor in their 2-1 victory against Istanbul Basaksehir last Saturday.