What has Salah got himself into? Trabzonspor embroiled in major controversy

26 Sept 2026 07:35 BST | 3 min read

Mohamed Salah, Trabzonspor, 2026/27 — © IMAGO

Tom Weber | Writer

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Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah's dramatic start to life at Trabzonspor isn't getting any less eventful, and the club are now courting controversy due to their plan to hire Jerome Boateng.

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The Egypt international moved to Turkey in the summer after bringing the curtain down on a legendary career in the Premier League. He surprisingly opted to stay away from the football-crazed metropolis of Istanbul and instead moved to Trabzon.

However, if he thought Trabzonspor would be a calmer environment than, say, Galatasaray or Fenerbahce, he was sorely mistaken. His first few months at the club have been nothing short of chaotic.

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Things immediately turned sour for Salah and Trabzonspor. They were embarrassingly knocked out of Europa League qualifying by Ferencvaros, which prompted coach Fatih Tekke to tender his resignation.

This was rejected by Trabzonspor, only for the club to sack Tekke just days later, after a 2-1 loss to Amed SK. A 5-0 victory and a 1-0 loss followed before the club presented their new manager last week - and now controversy is erupting.

Boateng to join Trabzonspor

Thomas Reis was prised away from Bulgarian side Ludogorets after just three months in charge and unveiled to much fanfare by Trabzonspor, with the German having previously led Samsunspor to an impressive third-placed finish.

Reis had an immediate impact. In his first match last weekend, Trabzonspor completely blew reigning champions Galatasaray away. Salah bagged a hat-trick and an assist in a staggering 4-0 victory.

However, the 52-year-old coach has now made a controversial decision. He has reportedly decided to add former Germany international Jerome Boateng to his staff.

The 38-year-old had a distinguished playing career, but his reputation has taken a seismic hit in recent years, following various claims of domestic violence levelled against him by former partners. He has denied all allegations.

In late 2019, Boateng was investigated for alleged abuse against his former fiancée Kasia Lenhardt. The investigation was stopped the following year but reopened in February 2021 after the Polish model committed suicide.

Boateng had publicly announced his separation from Lenhardt and accused her of damaging the relationship with the mother of his children from a previous relationship and of having issues with alcoholism.

These claims were widely repeated by German tabloids in the days prior to Lenhardt's death. She was unable to officially respond to Boateng's comments due to a non-disclosure agreement.

The charges relating to the October 2019 incident were ultimately dropped in 2025 over a lack of evidence. In 2024, an email from Boateng's mother leaked in which she claimed that her son had been "abusing women psychologically and physically for years."

The 2014 World Cup winner also had to stand trial over a separate incident relating to his former partner Sherin Senler, whom he allegedly assaulted while on vacation together in 2018.

Charges of causing bodily harm were twice revised and ultimately commuted to a slap on the wrist because of mistakes committed by the relevant authorities during the legal process. He had to pay €100,000 to two children's charities and got off without a formal criminal record.

Boateng has been trying to get into coaching since his retirement from football last September. Planned internships at Barcelona and Bayern Munich had to be shelved over public backlash.

Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, Boateng will become Reis' assistant at Trabzonspor.