‘Wonderful Place for Your Children’ - Mohamed Salah Receives Lifetime Gift in Turkey After Surprise Trabzonspor Transfer

A district mayor in Trabzon has made an unusual offer to football superstar Mohamed Salah, who signed a two-year contract with Super Lig team Trabzonspor this week.

The mayor proposed giving Salah a plot of land that he claimed would be a cool and habitable refuge from the effects of climate change.

Following his signing ceremony, Salah travelled to the Araklı district for a promotional shoot, where he met with district mayor Huseyin Avni Coskun Cebi, according to local media reports.

In a video of the encounter, Çebi is seen speaking to Salah through an interpreter, initially drawing a parallel between their home countries. "The two countries are similar," he said, referring to Turkey and Egypt. "Although both are very beautiful, their people struggle with poverty."

The conversation then took an unexpected turn towards environmental concerns. “Global warming is threatening the world. In the future, it will become difficult to live in Egypt during the summer," the mayor stated. "Our district will be very livable in those years. It will be among the places least affected by global warming.”

Cebi continued with his pitch: “Therefore, let us give you a beautiful piece of land here. It can be a wonderful place for your children and grandchildren, with no water problems and unaffected by global warming.”

Salah appeared momentarily confused during the mayor's speech before smiling, saying, "Thank you," and shaking Cebi’s hand.

Trabzon, a province on Turkey's northeastern Black Sea coast with a population of about 825,000, is known for its densely developed coastal areas and cool, forested mountainous interior. The region is projected to be less impacted by climate change compared to the Mediterranean basin, which includes Egypt and southern Turkey.

The 34-year-old right winger, widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation, secured a lucrative deal with Trabzonspor. According to a public disclosure by the club, Salah will receive an annual salary of €7 million and a signing-on fee of €10 million, totaling €24 million over two years.

The high salaries paid by Turkey's major football clubs have drawn public criticism in recent years, especially in a country where the monthly minimum wage is just over €500, an amount earned by a large portion of the workforce.

Trabzonspor is a cornerstone of the city's identity and is considered Turkey's fourth-biggest club. The team has won seven Super Lig titles, with its most recent championship in 2022 ending a decades-long wait.