Algerian sports commentator Hafid Derradji has criticised the move of Egyptian star and former Liverpool player Mohamed Salah to Turkey's Trabzonspor, arguing that the player could have continued his career at the highest level and chosen a club better able to meet his technical ambitions, given the status he built during his years on European pitches.
"What a shame," Derradji wrote on Facebook after Salah's first appearance for Trabzonspor. He added that the Egyptian could have carried on for several more years at the top level, arguing that a move to Turkish clubs of the size of Galatasaray or Fenerbahce would have given him stronger competition, greater pressure and a more visible European presence.
The Algerian commentator felt the choice of Trabzonspor, despite its financial and popular value, does not match on a technical level the status Salah cemented during his career with Liverpool, which placed him among the most prominent stars in world football.
Those remarks came after Trabzonspor's first Turkish league match of the season against Kasimpasa. It ended 1-1, and Salah featured for the first time in his new team's shirt, coming on in the 59th minute.
Derradji was quick to add a caveat. For all his criticism of the decision, he stressed that Salah has not lost his shine. He simply believes the Egyptian could have made a different choice, one that would have handed him a greater technical challenge in the next stage of his career.
Salah's move to Trabzonspor has sparked wide interest, given the great value the player represents after eventful years with Liverpool. Every new step in his career becomes a subject of attention and debate among fans, critics and sports commentators.