Hafid Derradji Critiques Salah's Trabzonspor Move: What a Shame

Mohamed Salah’s debut in Turkey was always going to draw a crowd. It also drew fire.

Algerian commentator Hafid Derradji has openly criticised the Egyptian star’s decision to join Trabzonspor, arguing that a player who dominated Europe with Liverpool has settled for a stage beneath his talent.

On Facebook, Derradji did not hold back. “What a shame,” he wrote after Salah’s first appearance for the club, a 1-1 draw against Kasimpasa in Trabzonspor’s Turkish league opener. Salah came off the bench in the 59th minute, pulling on his new colours for the first time in a competitive game.

For Derradji, the issue is not whether Salah can still play. Quite the opposite. He insisted the forward had several more years left at the top level and could have chosen a club that better matched his technical ambitions and global profile.

In his view, a move to one of the traditional Istanbul giants – Galatasaray or Fenerbahce – would have made far more sense. Stronger competition. Fiercer pressure. A brighter European spotlight. That, he argued, is the kind of environment a player of Salah’s standing should still be testing himself in.

Trabzonspor are no minnows. They carry serious financial strength and enjoy huge popularity, especially in their own region. The club remains a heavyweight in Turkish football. Yet Derradji believes that, from a purely technical and competitive standpoint, the choice falls short of what Salah built at Liverpool, where he rose into the elite bracket of world stars.

The criticism has swirled around one central idea: Salah’s status. After years of decisive goals, trophies and records at Anfield, every move he makes is dissected. Every step is a headline. His switch to Trabzonspor was no different, sparking debate among fans, pundits and commentators across the region.

Derradji, though, was careful on one point. He did not suggest Salah is in decline or that his brilliance has faded. He stressed that the Egyptian “hasn’t lost his shine” and remains a player of huge value. The frustration, in his eyes, lies in the route chosen, not the player himself.

So Salah begins this new chapter in Trabzon, his reputation intact but his decision under the microscope. The question now is simple: will the pitch prove Derradji wrong, or will this move be remembered as a step down for a player who once ruled Europe’s biggest nights?