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This was more than a night in the Turkish league. It was the night the King announced his return. In his first big clash wearing the Trabzonspor shirt, Egyptian star Mohamed Salah turned Papara Park into his personal stage and forced a legend of Thierry Henry's stature to break his silence with a resounding message to Liverpool: the problem was never Salah at all.
The King's night at Papara Park
Trabzonspor sprang a heavyweight surprise last Saturday in the sixth round of the 2026/2027 Turkish Süper Lig, crushing historic rivals Galatasaray 4-0 on home soil.
Egypt captain Mohamed Salah was the undisputed hero. He delivered an exceptional, unforgettable performance, scoring his first hat-trick in the Turkish league and setting up the second goal. That meant a direct hand in all four of his side's goals.
Henry erupts: imagine doing it against Galatasaray
Such brilliance did not go unnoticed. French football legend and Premier League analyst Thierry Henry praised what the Egyptian Pharaoh produced, in remarks reported by Turkish newspaper "Sabah".
Henry said: "Imagine scoring your first hat-trick in the Turkish league against one of Turkey's biggest clubs, Galatasaray. Its name and its achievements must be respected."
A fiery message to Liverpool
Henry did not stop at the technical praise. He fired a pointed, explicit message at his former club Arsenal and their rivals Liverpool, mounting a strong defence of the Egyptian star.
He concluded: "It is clear that Mohamed Salah was never the cause of the problem at Liverpool. There may have been some disagreements within the club's management, but the matter was certainly not related to the King of Egypt."