Mohamed Salah's move to Trabzonspor has set the club's supporters alight. Hundreds have flocked to the club shops and season-ticket outlets, a scene that captures just how much the Egyptian's arrival has stirred the city.
Anadolu Agency reported a heavy turnout at the club shops and ticket offices from the early hours of Wednesday morning, a day after Trabzonspor announced they had opened negotiations with Salah. Fans queued in long lines to buy shirts, many of them already carrying the forward's name.
Speaking to the trtspor website, supporter Zafer Bulut said his excitement over the deal pushed him to buy a season ticket despite his financial troubles. "I make sure to buy a ticket every year, but I was facing difficulties this season. When I learned that Salah was coming, I felt that buying the ticket was more important than paying off my debts, and afterwards I will also buy the team's shirts," he explained.
Fellow fan Ali Ihsan Turvanda urged supporters to back the club by buying tickets and shirts, insisting everyone had believed the deal would go through despite the secrecy around it. "We knew that the club president would seal the deal. He has won the hearts of the fans, and we hope this will be the start towards competing for the title," he said.
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Supporter Irfan Demirbilek said his family had spent the past few days on edge waiting for the transfer to be done. "We did not sleep throughout the last few days, waiting for Salah's arrival. My son even suggested travelling to Istanbul to welcome him before he reached Trabzon. We thought he would wear the number 11 shirt, and so we had it printed on the shirts we bought," he added.
Salah stepped off the private plane bound for Istanbul wearing a shirt with the number 61, though several Turkish reports say he will line up for the team with the number 10.
Read also: The secret of the strange number: Did Salah give up his usual shirt at Trabzon?
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