Former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah was visibly speechless when he met a local mayor in Turkey – and received an offer he could never have imagined.
The 34-year-old Egyptian shocked the football world when he recently signed for Trabzonspor on a free transfer, just weeks after he left Liverpool at the end of his contract. Salah’s choice of a team that finished third in the Turkish Super Liga has caused a stir – but already the transfer has given him something far more unexpected than football.
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After the signing ceremony, Salah went to the Arakli district of Trabzon to meet with district mayor Hüseyin Avni Coşkun Çebi. It was intended as a completely normal advertising photography. It ended with an offer that makes most transfer fees fade.
The mayor with an unusual proposal
Salah was first confused when Çebi suddenly turned the conversation from football to something completely different – climate change.
“Global warming threatens the whole world,” the mayor said. “In the future, it will be difficult to live in Egypt in the summer. Our district, on the other hand, will be very livable in the years to come. It will be among the places least affected by global warming.
Then came the suggestion:
“Let us give you a beautiful piece of land here. In this way, we have given you, your children and grandchildren a wonderful place in the future – a place that will not be affected by global warming. Without water problems, and with a climate that can withstand what comes.
The photos from the meeting capture the moment perfectly: Salah is sitting with his hand to his face, clearly shocked by what he has just heard. He scratches his forehead, looks confused – and then thanks the mayor with a handshake and a simple “Thank you”.
Why Trabzon is a paradise in the climate crisis
Trabzon is located on the Black Sea coast in northeastern Turkey and has about 824,000 inhabitants. The region has a unique combination of dense buildings along the coast and cool, forested mountain landscapes in the back – and it is precisely this that makes the area particularly equipped for the future.
The height above sea level provides protection against rising sea levels, while the densely populated coastline is likely to escape the worst consequences. The wooded areas help to maintain a stable and consistent temperature all year round.
The average temperature in the region is around a comfortable 24°C. So far this year, it has only risen to 25.6°C on average – a drastic difference from Salah’s home country of Egypt, where the average temperature has skyrocketed by as much as six degrees to 38.5°C.
Perhaps Çebi was on to something far more thoughtful than anyone could have imagined.
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Salah’s contract – and what he comes to do
Despite Salah’s last Liverpool season being weaker than his usual, sky-high standards, Trabzonspor have secured him on a contract worth reportedly £14.5 million a year.
He comes to Turkey with one clear ambition: to break the heavy grip of Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe – the two giants that have dominated the top of Turkish football for years.
But the first day in Trabzon was as much about the future – literally – as it was about football. A piece of land, a handshake and a shocked star who suddenly realized that he had received far more than a new contract.
