Sports
Mbappe inspires Real Madrid to end Barca’s unbeaten La Liga run
A Kylian Mbappe-inspired Real Madrid ended leaders Barcelona’s unbeaten La Liga run Sunday when the Frenchman scored twice to lead Jose Mourinho’s side to a 2-1 Clasico win.
French superstar Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring before halftime and then scored late to hand Barcelona its first domestic defeat of the season after Raphinha equalized for the champions.
Real Madrid remain third, just a point behind Atletico Madrid and three away from Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, which had won its first nine games before a difficult week.
The Catalans suffered a second straight defeat after losing Tuesday to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Mourinho was pleased with his team’s performance in his first Clasico since returning to Madrid.
“My team had an extraordinary game, very organized, with good concentration and the courage to play out from the back against a team that presses heavily,” Mourinho told reporters.
“We had chances for a second goal … obviously Barcelona had a strong reaction but we were calm and organized and at 1-1 we never lost our composure.”
Barcelona had won six of seven previous Clasicos since Flick arrived but was subdued against Mourinho’s side.
“We lacked freshness,” Flick said of his team’s performance.
“It’s the first defeat in La Liga; we won nine in a row. This is what we have to see.”
“Defeats are a part of the game. We have to analyze, we have to make things better. Now it’s important that we react,” he added.
Los Blancos, without suspended winger Vinicius Junior, won their fifth straight game in all competitions and are finding their footing under veteran Portuguese coach Mourinho.
After two trophyless seasons, Madrid returned to Mourinho to try to stop Barcelona’s dominance and this result gives them hope that they are on the right track.
The opening minutes of the game were cagey, with few opportunities.
Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi twice reacted well to shut down Mbappe, while Real Madrid’s Marc Cucurella repeatedly grabbed the shirt of 19-year-old winger Lamine Yamal.
Anthony Gordon, playing in his first Clasico since joining Barcelona from Newcastle, back-heeled the ball to Raphinha, who fired narrowly wide as Barcelona threatened.
The hosts suffered a setback when young defender Xavi Espart suffered an injury and needed to be replaced by Alejandro Balde before the half-hour mark.
Andriy Lunin, playing in goal for Madrid after Thibaut Courtois withdrew from the squad with the flu, saved at his near post from Gordon before the visitors took the lead.
Mbappe scored his 10th league goal of the season after Barcelona’s Gerard Martin cleared a cross directly into the Frenchman, who deflected it into the net.
Barcelona responded by creating a chance for an equalizer, but teenage forward Yamal miscued in front of goal, shooting wide from close range.
The game opened up, and Yan Diomande came close to doubling Madrid’s lead before halftime, drilling into the side-netting.
Martin was effective early in the second half as he held off Jude Bellingham, who could neither beat the defender nor find a free Mbappe.
Raphinha, who had a quiet first half, equalized for Barcelona just after the hour mark.
Pedri fed the Brazilian, La Liga’s top goal-scorer with 13, who fired through Bellingham’s legs, and Lunin could not keep the shot out.
The Ukrainian goalkeeper made an excellent save to deny Martin at a corner as Barcelona pressed forward.
Yamal bent an effort wide with Lunin at full stretch, and Barcelona substitute Frenkie de Jong had a shot blocked by Dean Huijsen.
However, the Catalans were punished late when substitute Gabriel Jesus lost possession and Madrid raced through on goal.
Eduardo Camavinga beat Cubarsi and cut the ball back for Mbappe to tap in his second of the night into the net after Joan Garcia was drawn out of position.
It marked 100 goals since Mbappe joined Madrid from PSG in 2024.
“This is a good message today, but we can’t think the season is done. Next week at Racing Santander, we have to play with the same intensity,” Mbappe told Real Madrid TV.
Galatasaray’s 2-1 victory over Fenerbahçe in the Süper Lig derby was overshadowed by a postgame brawl that left both teams facing potential disciplinary sanctions, with four players sent off or booked after the final whistle.
The 407th meeting between two of Turkish football’s biggest rivals took place Sunday at RAMS Park, where Galatasaray secured the win in the teams’ ninth league match of the season.
However, the scenes after the final whistle and the flurry of cards once again highlighted the tension surrounding one of football’s most heated rivalries.
According to the referee’s report published on the Turkish Football Federation’s information system, referee Atilla Karaoğlan issued six yellow cards during regulation time.
Galatasaray’s Davinson Sanchez and Rafael Leao were booked, along with Fenerbahçe’s İrfan Can Kahveci, Milan Skriniar, Nelson Semedo and N’Golo Kante.
The situation deteriorated after the final whistle when an altercation broke out between Fenerbahçe’s Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Galatasaray’s Roland Sallai. Other players joined the confrontation, escalating it into a brawl.
Aktürkoğlu and Sallai received yellow cards, while Galatasaray defender Abdülkerim Bardakcı and Fenerbahçe defender Archie Brown were shown red cards for physically confronting each other.
The incident has shifted attention to the Turkish Football Federation’s disciplinary process, with both clubs potentially facing further punishment.
18 red cards in the last 20 derbies
The latest confrontation adds to a growing disciplinary record in the rivalry. Referees have issued 18 red cards and 150 yellow cards across the last 20 meetings between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, comprising 18 Süper Lig games, one Turkish Cup match and one Turkish Super Cup encounter.
Fenerbahçe players accounted for 12 of those red cards, compared with six for Galatasaray.
Galatasaray players sent off during that period include Younes Belhanda, who received two red cards, Badou Ndiaye, Barış Alper Yılmaz, Kerem Demirbay and Bardakcı.
Fenerbahçe’s list includes Roberto Soldado, Jailson, Hasan Ali Kaldırım, Deniz Türüç, Marcel Tisserand, Irfan Can Kahveci, Luan Peres, Alexander Djiku, Fred, Mert Hakan Yandaş, Ederson and Brown.
Lengthy suspensions?
The Turkish Football Federation’s Legal Consultancy will review the referee’s and match observer’s reports before referring players and officials to the Professional Football Disciplinary Board.
Bardakcı and Brown face particular scrutiny following their red cards. The length of any suspension will depend on the disciplinary charge brought against them.
Under Article 36 of the Football Disciplinary Regulations, which covers unsporting conduct, players could face suspensions of one to three matches. A charge under Article 45, covering fighting, could result in bans of three to five matches.
The penalties could be more severe if the players are charged under Article 44, which covers assault and carries suspensions of five to 10 matches.
Broadcast footage and match observer reports could also lead to disciplinary proceedings against additional players or members of either team’s coaching staff.
Previous derbies have carried a heavy financial cost
The disciplinary consequences of the rivalry extend beyond individual suspensions. Across the last 15 derbies, four coaches and 19 players have received match bans, while both clubs have accumulated substantial financial penalties.
Decisions issued by the Professional Football Disciplinary Board and upheld by the Arbitration Board resulted in fines of 8.13 million Turkish lira ($192,000) for Galatasaray and 13.359 million lira ($315,000) for Fenerbahçe, according to the figures provided. Fenerbahçe also received seven matches behind closed doors, compared with three for Galatasaray.
Coaches and players have frequently borne the brunt of the sanctions.
At Fenerbahçe, former manager Jose Mourinho received a five-match suspension, while Ersun Yanal was banned for one match. Coaches Salvatore Foti and Sandro Zufic each received four-match suspensions.
Among Fenerbahçe players, Volkan Demirel, Mert Hakan Yandaş and Jailson each received eight-match bans. Soldado was suspended for six matches, while Raul Meireles received a four-match ban. Ederson, Fred and Irfan Can Eğribayat each received three-match suspensions.
Jayden Oosterwolde, Irfan Can Kahveci and Bruno Alves were each banned for two matches, while Türüç received a one-match suspension.
Galatasaray also faced significant sanctions. Former manager Fatih Terim received a 15-match suspension, while current manager Okan Buruk was banned for one match. Assistant coach Hasan Şaş received a nine-match suspension, and Serhat Doğan was suspended for one match.
Among Galatasaray players, Engin Baytar received an 11-match ban, Ryan Donk was suspended for six matches and Ndiaye for five. Sabri Sarıoğlu received a four-match suspension, while Garry Rodrigues was banned for three matches. Barış Alper Yılmaz and Kerem Demirbay each received one-match suspensions.
Lamine Yamal may have missed out on the Ballon d’Or, but the Barcelona forward made history Monday by winning the Men’s Young Talent of the Year award for a third consecutive year, becoming the first player to achieve the feat.
The 19-year-old received the honor at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony at the London Palladium, collecting the trophy from Ukrainian football great Andriy Shevchenko.
The award, formerly known as the Kopa Trophy, recognizes the world’s best male player aged 21 or younger and is voted on by former Ballon d’Or winners.
Yamal first won the award in 2024, aged 17, before retaining it in 2025. His latest victory puts him in a class of his own, having become the first player to win the honor three times in succession.
Previous recipients include Kylian Mbappe in 2018, Matthijs de Ligt in 2019, Pedri in 2021, Gavi in 2022 and Jude Bellingham in 2023. None had managed to defend the title before Yamal broke new ground with his consecutive victories.
Barcelona’s success in the award also reflects the club’s ability to develop young talent. Pedri and Gavi previously won the prize, bringing Barcelona’s total to five victories.
Despite the personal recognition, Yamal used his acceptance remarks to praise teammate Pau Cubarsi, who finished second in the voting.
“I would have liked Cubarsi to have won; he deserves it. He has been performing at an incredible level for a long time,” Yamal said.
The defender’s strong performances for Barcelona and Spain had made him a leading contender for the honor.
Yamal’s latest award came on a night when he also finished third in the senior Ballon d’Or standings, behind winner Harry Kane and runner-up Mbappe.
Another standout season
Yamal’s record-breaking achievement followed another impressive campaign in 2025-26, during which he played a central role in Barcelona’s domestic success and Spain’s triumph on the international stage.
For Barcelona, he helped secure a second consecutive La Liga title and the Spanish Super Cup. His performances also earned him the La Liga Player of the Season award.
In the league, Yamal scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists, the most in the competition. He also scored six goals in the Champions League as Barcelona reached the quarterfinals.
His overall contribution across competitions included approximately 24 to 25 goals and 18 to 20 assists, depending on the statistical source and competition cutoffs.
Yamal’s season was not without setbacks. A hamstring injury in April raised concerns about his availability for the World Cup, but he recovered in time to join Spain’s 26-man squad.
Spain went on to win the tournament, defeating Argentina 1-0 in the final to claim its second men’s World Cup title. Yamal scored in a 4-0 group-stage victory over Saudi Arabia and won a penalty in Spain’s 2-0 semifinal win over France.
The World Cup victory added another major achievement to a growing collection of honors for the young forward, whose influence has extended well beyond his age group.
A new benchmark for young players
The Young Talent of the Year award, introduced in 2018 as the Kopa Trophy, honors the legacy of French football great Raymond Kopa. Its winners are selected by former Ballon d’Or recipients, distinguishing it from the main award, which is decided by journalists.
Yamal’s three consecutive victories have established a new standard in the award’s relatively short history. His first win recognized his exceptional emergence at Barcelona, while his second confirmed his consistency at the highest level. The third underlines his continued development into one of football’s leading players.
His success also highlights Barcelona’s La Masia academy, which has produced several of the club’s most influential young players. The achievements of Pedri, Gavi and Yamal have reinforced the academy’s reputation as a source of elite talent.
More than 650 sailors representing over 65 teams will compete on the Istanbul Bosporus on Oct. 29 as the Presidential International Yacht Races celebrate the 103rd anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic.
The Republic Cup, the fourth and final leg of the seventh edition of the series, will begin in front of Dolmabahçe Palace, bringing a fleet of sailboats adorned with Turkish flags to one of the city’s most recognizable waterways.
The race will combine competition with Republic Day celebrations, as crews test their strategy, teamwork and endurance against the wind and currents of the Bosporus. Spectators will be able to watch from the waterfront as the boats sail through the strait.
Held under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency, the races are organized by the Istanbul Offshore Yacht Racing Club, with contributions from the Culture and Tourism Ministry and the Youth and Sports Ministry, in cooperation with the Istanbul Governor’s Office and the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA).
Connecting young people
Speaking at a news conference at Fişekhane in Istanbul, Istanbul Offshore Yacht Racing Club President Ekrem Yemlihaoğlu emphasized the importance of introducing children and young people to sailing.
He said the sport helps develop confidence, cooperation and respect for nature, qualities that can benefit young people beyond the competition.
“We believe the self-confidence, solidarity and respect for nature gained at sea will benefit these young people in every area of life and help them move forward,” Yemlihaoğlu said. “As their connection with the sea grows stronger, so will their responsibility to protect it.”
He also highlighted the economic opportunities offered by yacht tourism, arguing that Türkiye has the infrastructure and natural resources to expand its share of the international market.
Citing studies on yacht tourism in the European Union, Yemlihaoğlu said the sector generates an annual economic volume of 78 billion euros ($81 billion), largely across Greece, Italy and Spain, and supports 234,000 jobs.
“These figures point to significant economic benefits and considerable potential for job creation,” he said.
Yemlihaoğlu added that Türkiye already has marinas, accommodation facilities and other services needed by yacht owners and visitors, giving the country a strong foundation for growth.
Through the Presidential International Yacht Races, organizers aim to help turn that potential into economic activity while raising Türkiye’s profile as a sailing and tourism destination.
History and heritage
Yemlihaoğlu said the event also offers an opportunity to promote Türkiye internationally by connecting the country’s maritime landscape with its history.
He pointed to the historical landmarks visible along the Bosporus and the broader legacy of the Turkish War of Independence, including the battles of Gallipoli, the national movement launched in Samsun and the struggle along the Aegean coast.
He said the historical backdrop to the races sends a message about Türkiye’s heritage and national identity to international audiences.
Yemlihaoğlu thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkish Sailing Federation President Özlem Akdurak, local officials, sponsors and participating athletes for their support.
He also acknowledged Fişekhane, which hosted the news conference, and sponsor Jacques Philippe.
Neon Sailing Cup
Organizers also announced plans for the Neon Sailing Cup, a nighttime sailing event scheduled for Aug. 28, 2027, on the Istanbul Bosporus as part of Sail Türkiye. Yemlihaoğlu described it as a world first.
Melisa Kavsak, the event’s founder and coordinator, said the competition would combine sailing with technology and visual effects to create an experience that spectators could follow from the shoreline as well as through social media.
Kavsak said the initiative aims to make sailing more accessible to wider audiences while strengthening Istanbul’s international profile and supporting sports tourism.
“Our goal is not simply to organize a race, but to increase the visibility of sailing and bring the sport to a broader audience,” she said.
She added that the event would seek to combine Istanbul’s historical and cultural identity with a contemporary sporting spectacle, using the Bosporus as a distinctive setting.
Kavsak said the city’s historical heritage and waterfront could help make the Neon Sailing Cup a unique sporting and urban experience for international visitors.
Season title to be decided at Republic Cup
The Oct. 29 race will also determine the final standings in the Presidential International Yacht Races series.
Teams will compete for the Republic Cup while seeking to finish the season at the top of the overall standings.
The championship will be decided by cumulative points earned across all legs, with the team recording the highest total crowned season champion.
The winners will receive their trophies at an awards ceremony scheduled for Nov. 1 at Fişekhane.
Harry Kane became the first Englishman in 25 years to win the Ballon d’Or on Monday, capping a remarkable season in which the Bayern Munich striker combined prolific goalscoring with domestic success and leadership for club and country.
The 33-year-old received football’s most prestigious individual award at the 70th ceremony, held at London’s Palladium Theatre on Monday. He is the fifth Englishman to win the men’s prize, joining Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Michael Owen, who was the last English recipient in 2001.
Kane’s victory rewards an outstanding 2025-26 campaign in which he scored 73 goals in 65 appearances across all competitions for Bayern and England. His tally also earned him the Gerd Müller Trophy, awarded to the season’s leading goalscorer, while his performances helped Bayern secure the Bundesliga title and German Cup.
The England captain scored 61 goals for Bayern, including a Bundesliga-leading 36 in 31 league appearances. He added 14 goals in the Champions League, 10 in the German Cup and one in the German Supercup. His remaining 12 goals came for England, including six during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
Kane also won the European Golden Shoe as the continent’s leading league goalscorer, further strengthening his case for the Ballon d’Or. His ability to finish chances, create opportunities for teammates and deliver in decisive moments made him the centerpiece of Bayern’s attack throughout the season.
Since joining Bayern from Tottenham Hotspur in 2023, Kane has established himself as one of the German club’s most productive forwards. His goalscoring record has reinforced a reputation built over years in the Premier League, where he won multiple Golden Boots before moving to Germany.
His latest achievement adds another distinction to a career that includes England’s all-time scoring record and years of consistent performances at the highest level. Although Kane has often been celebrated for his professionalism, intelligent movement and link-up play rather than showmanship, his extraordinary output has now earned him the sport’s most coveted individual honor.
The Ballon d’Or race featured several high-profile contenders, including Spain’s Lamine Yamal, France’s Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, Norway’s Erling Haaland and Spain’s Rodri. Yamal also won the Kopa Trophy as the best young player.
A website error before the ceremony added intrigue after separate articles prematurely listed Kane, Yamal and Mbappé as winners. The official announcement ultimately confirmed Kane as the recipient.
Earlier in the evening, Kane accepted the Gerd Müller Trophy and credited his teammates and family for helping him reach the highest point of his career.
“An incredible year for me … the best season I have had without a doubt,” he said. “To score this amount of goals is a total team effort.”
He also thanked his wife, Kate, for her support.
“I have a great team around me who keep me humble and keep me grounded,” Kane said. “My wife Kate, we’re in this together. I know this wouldn’t be possible without you.”
Kane’s win places him alongside a select group of English football greats who have claimed the award. Matthews won the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956, Charlton followed in 1966, Keegan won back-to-back awards in 1978 and 1979, and Owen claimed the honor in 2001.
The ceremony also recognized Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas, who won her third women’s Ballon d’Or after helping Barcelona collect several trophies last season, including the Women’s Champions League. Putellas, 32, joined London City Lionesses during the offseason and also helped Spain win the Women’s Nations League in December.
Her victory ended Aitana Bonmati’s three-year reign. Bonmati, who completed a hat trick of consecutive awards in 2025, was absent from this year’s shortlist after breaking her leg in December.
Kimi Antonelli said his mindset will remain unchanged heading into next week’s Mexico City Grand Prix, where he needs just two points to become the youngest world champion in Formula One history.
The 20-year-old Italian delivered a well-executed and dominant drive to claim his ninth victory this year for Mercedes in Sunday’s United States Grand Prix and move within reach of the title.
Antonelli is on the brink of smashing the previous record for youngest champion, held by Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years and 133 days old when he won his first title in 2010
He is also set to become the first Italian to win the title since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
“The best way, the perfect way, would be to finish off in style and then just enjoy the rest of the season,” he said.
“I’m very aware that it’s very close but the mindset doesn’t change.
“I want to finish the season on a high in order to then go with high hopes into 2027. But we’ll first focus and worry about finishing this well, and then we’ll see.”
After Sunday’s triumph at the Circuit of the Americas he leads with 365 points ahead of nearest rival and team-mate George Russell on 242 and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari on 241.
He will be champion if he finishes in the top nine or, if he doesn’t score, Russell or Hamilton fail to win.
But on current form, after winning again for the first time in four races, he looks certain to take the title in his own happy, generous and infectious style.
“That was the perfect way to end the weekend,” he said.
“It was an incredible team effort, especially from strategy, to believe in me and go for one stop because I wasn’t sure whether one or two stop was the quickest,” he added.
“But I’m really happy that we made it stick. Today was a really important victory for me and for the team, especially after having a couple of difficult races, so being back on top feels very good.”
Antonelli’s ability on the track and infectious attitude off it have landed him numerous admirers around the paddock, including 1996 world champion Damon Hill.
“The team love him, he’s enjoying everything he’s got in F1 and he’s very grateful for all the breaks they’ve given him at Mercedes,” Hill said on the BBC.
“But he delivers. He’s such a nice kid. It’s incredible. Twenty years old and he’s on the verge of winning his first championship, which I’m sure will be the first of many.”
‘Rubbish’
Russell needed to finish in the top eight to remain notionally in the title race and he did indeed finish eighth after taking an early five-second penalty.
“My pace was just rubbish today. That’s the long and short of it,” he said.
“Of course, the five seconds didn’t help things and probably cost me two or three positions, but nevertheless, the pace was not good enough when it needed to be.”
Hamilton is the only other driver who still has a mathematical chance of catching Antonelli but the seven-time champion was left to rue missed opportunities in Sunday’s race.
“I felt the race was lost in my first two stints,” said Hamilton. “I lost so much time. I couldn’t turn the car in the lower speed corners particularly.”
“I was adjusting my settings and by the last stint I was closer to the right balance,” he said.
“I think I’ve lost a lot of points in the last five races or so and I think it’s really come from set-up or just not perfecting the set-up. It’s something I’ve really got to get on top of.”
Ever since Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah posted a photo of himself last month sitting on a small boulder in a remote highland more than an hour from the city of Trabzon in northeastern Türkiye, fans have flocked to the spot to pose in the same position.
The unlikely tourist attraction is not the only sign of the Salah-mania sweeping Türkiye since the Egyptian star signed with the Trabzonspor club in August after leaving England’s iconic Liverpool club.
His arrival came as a much-needed boost to Turkish football fans’ spirits, which had been dashed months earlier when Türkiye’s national team played in its first World Cup in 24 years only to exit the tournament without scoring any goals.
“God willing, we will win the championship title with him this year,” said Sinan Mor, who attended a match hosted by Trabzonspor Monday against Beşiktaş, one of Türkiye’s most popular football clubs, which was in talks to sign Salah before he went to Trabzonspor.
Mor wore a traditional thobe and a shemagh head wrap in the team’s colors with sunglasses that had “MO SALAH” written on them.
Ahead of the match, Associated Press journalists who visited the “Salah rock” counted 46 visitors within two hours.
“If you can bring a global superstar to one of the most remote highland villages in Trabzon, that means something to us,” said Mustafa Bektaş, a 44-year-old Trabzon supporter who traveled from Sakarya in western Türkiye for the game and made the trek to pose on the boulder.
In the city, Salah-themed merchandise and art have popped up everywhere. Muralist Yıldıray Yıldırım said he’s received multiple requests for Salah-themed murals outside local businesses after he painted an image of him wearing his Trabzonspor jersey on a wall outside a park.
On Google Maps, the club’s stadium is already marked as Mohamed Salah Camii – or mosque – in a nod to his fans’ almost religious fervor.
The move of a world record-breaking football star from the English Premier League to a lower-tier European league team would usually mark the twilight of their career.
But for Salah, transferring from Liverpool to Türkiye’s Trabzonspor at the age of 34 marked a new dawn.
Salah made a name as the third-highest goal scorer in Liverpool’s history and the world record holder for the most left-footed Premier League goals, but his latest campaign was disappointing. He scored only 12 goals, had a public falling out with coach Arne Slot and in March announced he would leave.
Since his transfer to Trabzonspor, fans and commentators say Salah rediscovered his scoring touch, with teammates who bolster his strengths and an entire city that is turning into a fan club.
Nearly all the seats in Trabzonspor’s stadium, with capacity for more than 41,000 people, were full Monday. The stands roared every time Salah touched the ball. In the 71st minute, Salah scored one of the goals that won his team the derby and made him the leading scorer in the Turkish Süper Lig.
The chants “Allah Allah Allah, Mohamed Salah” and “Trabzonlu (from Trabzon) Mohamed Salah” rose from the stands following the goal.
“He is a top player and a very good guy,” Nigerian defender Chibuike Nwaiwu, Trabzonspor’s center-back, told reporters. “He brings a lot of quality to the team.”
Representatives of Salah did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
Trabzon, a city of nearly a million people on Türkiye’s Black Sea coast, is known for its green valleys, steep hills, a Byzantine-era monastery and headstrong locals with punchy accents.
The local economy runs on agriculture and tourism but its team is the city’s crown jewel.
Trabzonspor’s social media accounts gained a million new followers after signing Salah, according to local news reports, and new direct flights were launched between Cairo and Trabzon in August, anticipating demand from Egyptian tourists.
Travel agent Ibrahim Eyüpoğlu said he has been selling packages with a ticket to a Trabzonspor match, a trip to the rock, and team merchandise.
“Before Salah, even derby games were played with empty stands. Now they’re always full,” he said.
Mustapha Sabbagh has been following Salah for 15 years from Lebanon. He signed up for the package and flew to Trabzon for two days. Then the 73-year-old jumped through a small river to sit on the “Salah rock.”
“Salah is the love of my heart. He has the magic touch,” Sabbagh said as he looked at his soaking-wet shoes and trousers with a big smile. “It’s worth it.”
Even Beşiktaş fans admitted their admiration. Salah’s talks with Beşiktaş collapsed over disagreements about his agent’s commission fee, according to Beşiktaş President Serdar Adalı.
“Unfortunately, I like his football a lot. The man is a star,” says Muhammed Mert Murat, 22, a Beşiktaş fan from Trabzon. He believes that Beşiktaş, which ranks fifth, just under Trabzon, would be leading Türkiye’s Süper Lig if Salah was playing for them.
Murat works in a tea shop next to a housing complex where locals believe Salah lives and dreams about asking him why he didn’t choose Beşiktaş.
Still, he acknowledged, “There is a beautiful love for him here.”
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