'It's a sad start' – Trabzonspor boss reacts to Salah's debut game

Mohamed Salah made his competitive debut for Trabzonspor on Saturday, but manager Fatih Tekke was left disappointed after his side surrendered a lead to draw 1-1 with Kasımpaşa.

Salah entered the contest in the second half and showed flashes of his attacking quality, but Trabzonspor could not find the winning goal.

Trabzonspor looked on course for victory after Noah Saviolo opened the scoring in the first half of their Turkish Süper Lig opener.

However, Kasımpaşa responded after the interval when Adrian Benedyczak converted from the penalty spot to bring the hosts level.

Salah, who joined Trabzonspor on a free transfer after nine seasons with Liverpool, was introduced in the 58th minute shortly after the equaliser.

The Egyptian was deployed on the right wing and quickly became involved, helping create several openings as Trabzonspor searched for a winner.

Despite their efforts, the visitors could not find a decisive second goal, leaving Salah to settle for a draw in his first competitive appearance for the club.

Although Salah's arrival has generated significant excitement around Trabzonspor, Tekke was more concerned with the result and his team's failure to hold onto their advantage.

“It's a sad start today. It was a game we had to be victorious in, but we couldn't succeed,” Tekke said.

The Trabzonspor boss now has little time to dwell on the disappointing result, with the club preparing for a crucial European fixture.

“Thursday is really important, we play a match in Europe, and the opponent is far better than us,” he added.

Trabzonspor, who finished third in the Süper Lig last season and lifted the Turkish Cup, will face Hungarian side Ferencvárosi TC in the Europa League play-off round on August 20.

Salah will now hope to build on his encouraging introduction and help Trabzonspor secure a place in the Europa League proper.