Fatih Tekke frustrated as Mohamed Salah’s Trabzonspor begin with Kasımpasa draw

Fatih Tekke described Trabzonspor’s 1-1 draw away to Kasımpasa as a “sad and difficult start” after Mohamed Salah made his first appearance for the Turkish club.

Salah, who joined Trabzonspor only a few days before the opening-round fixture, began the match on the substitutes’ bench. He had taken part in only a small number of collective training sessions with his new team before the game.

The match was played at Kasımpasa’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan Stadium, where Trabzonspor opened their Turkish league campaign with a point.

Speaking to reporters after the final whistle, Trabzonspor manager Tekke said: “It’s a sad and difficult start, and we had talked about that. The next four matches could be even more difficult.”

Trabzonspor had hoped to begin the season with a victory, but Tekke said an error in the second half allowed Kasımpasa to draw level.

“In the second half, because of the mistake we made, the opponent managed to equalise,” he said. “We were not destined to win today.”

Tekke insisted the importance of the result extended beyond the opening match and said the club’s immediate focus had to be on the period ahead.

“This is not about Trabzonspor’s current season, but about the future of the team, especially the next five weeks and the next five matches,” he added. “They are extremely important.”

The manager admitted that his side had not started the game as well as they wanted, although he felt their first-half performance had exceeded the team’s initial plan.

“We did not start the match well, but in the first half we were better than we had planned,” said Tekke. “The mistake that happened is unacceptable, and we have to avoid it.”

He also rejected the idea that responsibility should rest entirely with one player.

“There is a beginning to the mistake, and we cannot put all the blame on one player,” Tekke said.

Explaining how the incident developed, he said the error occurred while the ball was heading towards the touchline. The desire to win possession back quickly had contributed to the situation, but the resulting challenge ultimately worked against Trabzonspor.

“The mistake happened while the ball was on its way to the touchline, and this happens because of the desire to recover the ball as quickly as possible,” he said. “But the way you intervene ultimately leads to you being punished.”

Salah’s arrival had added attention to Trabzonspor’s league opener, although the forward’s late integration into the squad meant he did not start the match. His debut came as the club began a period that Tekke believes will be decisive for the team’s direction.

Trabzonspor created promising situations during the match, according to their manager, but could not turn them into a winning result.

“We reached good positions in the match, but when things are not going in your favour, they do not go in your favour,” Tekke concluded.