Trabzonspor players ‘fought for’ Mohamed Salah in 4-0 Galatasaray win

Trabzonspor manager Thomas Reis said his entire team worked to create the space Mohamed Salah needed during their 4-0 victory over Galatasaray in the sixth round of the Turkish league.

Salah scored a hat-trick and provided the assist for Trabzonspor’s fourth goal, taking his tally for the season to seven and moving to the top of the Turkish league’s scoring chart.

Reis said the result capped an exceptional week after his recent change of club.

“It has been a special week of work with Trabzonspor,” Reis told reporters after the match. “On Monday I was with my former team and today we achieved another victory here.”

The manager explained that he had been required to deliver his ideas to the squad in a short period, with much of his preparation focused on communicating directly with the players.

“I tried to explain as much as possible to the players in a short time,” he said. “All our work focused on talking with the players. We have experienced players in the group, such as Gabinyo and Salah.”

Reis also acknowledged that the international break would present both an opportunity and a challenge, with several Trabzonspor players expected to join their national teams.

“The situation is not easy because we have many players who will join their national teams,” he said. “We will work on the tactical aspects during the international break. We will also discuss why we felt tired after 60 or 70 minutes, and we will try to make the most of the break.”

Salah’s influence was central to the emphatic win, but Reis said the performance depended on the collective effort of his team-mates rather than the forward alone.

“We know what Salah is capable of doing,” he added. “His team-mates fought for him. It was not easy, but we saw how dangerous he was when he had the ball. The whole team fought during the match and worked hard to create that space for him.”

Reis ended by praising the atmosphere inside the stadium, saying his view of the supporters had changed now that they were backing his side rather than opposing it.

“The atmosphere here is wonderful,” he said. “I knew what it was like as an opponent, but it is great to have those fans on my side. I hope we can continue like this.”