Trabzonspor reject coach’s resignation as Mohamed Salah’s side miss out on Europa League spot

Turkish club Trabzonspor, who signed Mohamed Salah earlier this summer, missed out on qualification for this season’s Europa League — and then rejected the resignation of their head coach.

Fatih Tekke, who has been in the position since March 2025 and won the Turkish Cup with the club last season, tendered his resignation following the side’s four-goal loss to Hungarian side Ferencvaros, completing a five-goal aggregate defeat, in Thursday night’s qualifier.

Later, the club released a statement saying its board of directors had rejected the request from Tekke, who it reaffirmed would be in the dugout for Monday’s Super Lig game against Amedspor.

KAMUOYUNA DUYURU

Teknik Direktörümüz Fatih Tekke, Ferencvaros karşılaşmasının ardından yaşanan mağlubiyetin oluşturduğu duygusal yoğunlukla istifa kararı almıştır.

Trabzonspor Yönetim Kurulu olarak, Teknik Direktörümüz Fatih Tekke’nin istifa kararı kabul edilmemiştir.

Fatih… pic.twitter.com/3m9zibPC8M

— Trabzonspor (@Trabzonspor) August 27, 2026

Trabzonspor said the “emotional intensity” of the heavy defeat in Budapest, where the visiting side finished with nine player safter Ruslan Malinovskyi and Sidny Lopes Cabral were sent-off.

Trabzonspor will now play in this season’s Conference League league phase.

“Misfortune and bad luck are all acceptable, but I cannot accept this performance,” Tekke said after Thursday’s defeat, in quotes carried by Turkish outlet Fanatik. “I cannot sleep with this feeling. May everyone forgive me. We did our best.”

Salah signed a two-year contract with the Turkish club earlier this month following his summer exit from Liverpool.

The club confirmed the Egypt international would be paid €17million (£14.5m, $19.6m) per annum, consisting of a €10m salary and a €7m signing-on fee, which will be paid in each season. The 34-year-old will be entitled to 20 per cent of merchandise sales from the club which are related to him.

Ukraine international midfielder Malinovskyi and Cabral, a star of the World Cup with Cape Verde, were signed from Genoa and Benfica respectively this summer, while former Liverpool midfielder Fabinho was among other incomings; the Brazil international arrived as a free agent after leaving Al Ittihad.

Trabzonspor finished third in the Super Lig last season, seven points behind champions Galatasaray, qualifying for the Europa League and also winning the Turkish Cup. The team have won the league title on seven occasions, most recently in 2021-22.