As Mohamed Salah finalized his two-year contract in front of tens of thousands of enthusiastic fans at Trabzonspor’s Papara Park, club president Ertugrul Dogan could barely conceal his delight.

The overwhelming response from supporters in the days leading up to the signing had already reinforced Dogan’s belief that he had pulled off a transfer coup.

“He’s the biggest Muslim footballer in the world. He’s an influential role model,” Dogan told BBC Sport Africa and BBC Turkish.

“We held Salah’s signing ceremony in front of 35,000 people. It was clear from everything he did that he felt that love, and he thanked us,” he added.

Onlookers have been keen to understand how Dogan managed to entice such a football superstar to join a club lacking Champions League football and having won the Turkish title just once since its glory days in the 1970s and early 1980s.

‘Why should I choose Trabzonspor?’

The city of Trabzon lies on the Black Sea coast, near Turkey’s northern border with Georgia. With a population of around 800,000, it does not even rank among the country’s 20 largest urban centers.

However, Dogan maintains that Trabzon has a unique charm.

“I always say this about Trabzonspor and the city – we’re the largest one-club city in the world. Salah asked us something like, ‘Why should I choose Trabzonspor now?'”

“We explained the allure of the city, assuring him that he would encounter a group of supporters unlike any he has experienced before, full of genuine affection,” he remarked.

Born in January 1977, Dogan is originally from Trabzon. After finding success in various industries, including real estate, hazelnuts, and biofuels, he took over as Trabzonspor president in 2023. This appointment followed the club’s most triumphant season in recent memory, having won the league title in 2021-22.

Since Dogan’s leadership, the club, known as the Black Sea Storm, has finished third, seventh, and third in the Super Lig. Last season, they captured the Turkish Cup under coach Fatih Tekke, who now aims to lead the team into the Europa League despite a 0-1 home loss in the first leg of their playoff against Hungary’s Ferencvaros.

“We are working to position Trabzonspor and Trabzon itself as a destination for talented young players from around the globe,” Dogan stated. “We want to elevate them to the next level, paving their way to larger European clubs. The combination of young and star players, with their professionalism and positive energy, will set us apart.”

“Mohamed Salah embodies this ideal,” he added.

Attention ‘cannot be given financial value’

During the off-season, Trabzonspor sold 20-year-old Ivorian midfielder Christ Inao Oulai to Fiorentina and Brazilian forward Felipe Augusto, 22, to Zenit St Petersburg, both transactions resulting in substantial profits after only one season at the club.

Young talents from Albania, Belgium, Cape Verde, and Portugal have since arrived to fill these gaps, yet Dogan is keen on maintaining a blend of talent and experience.

Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana has returned for a second season on loan from Manchester United, but Salah’s arrival stands as a potential turning point.

“The attention generated and the international engagement following this transfer cannot easily be assigned a financial value,” Dogan explained. He openly stated that Salah would earn €17 million annually (£14.6 million, $19.9 million) and receive 20% of merchandise sales bearing his name.

“From a purely financial standpoint, this transfer lacks a direct return,” he noted.

“We adjusted our season ticket prices this year, increasing them as I told our fans, ‘Look, I’m bringing you Salah, one of the biggest stars in the world,'” he emphasized.

Dogan revealed that nearly 70% of Salah’s salary for the year has been financed through season ticket sales in the first few days following his signing announcement. Initial expectations were for 25,000 season ticket sales, but now the club anticipates surpassing 30,000, with major companies reaching out to explore partnership opportunities during this “Salah-mania.”

“We are engaged in significant discussions in Turkey, Europe, and the Arab world,” he added.

‘The whole city lives for football’

The news that Trabzonspor secured Salah’s signature after nine stellar seasons at Liverpool raised eyebrows among football fans. Many expected Salah, who ranks fourth on the all-time Premier League goalscorers list, to either sign a lucrative contract with a Saudi Pro League club or join Lionel Messi in the United States.

While there was competition, Dogan indicated that negotiations progressed swiftly once they commenced. “Once we started talking, both sides genuinely approached each other very sincerely,” he remarked.

Previously, Trabzonspor had been watching and waiting after pursuing Salah since the World Cup, as there is an unwritten rule in Turkey that other clubs typically wait when one club is in discussions.

“Yes, there were clubs in Turkey keen on him,” Dogan added, confirming that their interest was concluded before Trabzonspor made their move. “Negotiations took around five to six days to finalize after our initial Zoom meeting, where we just got to know each other. Salah was on holiday in Mykonos, and talks resumed via Zoom afterwards.”

Trabzonspor eventually brought Salah to Turkey for a medical assessment in Istanbul, a deliberate choice to demonstrate the nationwide support he would receive beyond Trabzon.

Thousands of supporters gathered at the airport to welcome him upon arrival, despite it being a weekday.

Having made his debut in Istanbul as a second-half substitute during a 1-1 draw against Kasimpasa on the opening weekend of the new league season, he is anticipated to play his first home game in Trabzon this coming Sunday.

“The whole city lives for football,” Dogan stated, emphasizing the strong community spirit surrounding the sport. “Everywhere you go, on every corner, the city provides that player with energy and happiness.”

With Mohamed Salah now part of the squad, expectations run high, and Dogan’s smile is expected to last well into the future.

As Mohamed Salah signed his two-year deal in front of tens of thousands of fans inside Trabzonspor’s Papara Park stadium, the man putting his signature to the contract next to the Egyptian was struggling to keep the smile off his face.

The reaction of supporters over the previous few days had already convinced club president Ertugrul Dogan he had pulled off a transfer coup.

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“He’s the biggest Muslim footballer in the world. He’s an influential role model,” he told BBC Sport Africa and BBC Turkish.

“We held Salah’s signing ceremony in front of 35,000 people.

“It was clear from everything he did that he felt that love, and he told us as much too. He thanked us.”

So how did Dogan persuade one of football’s megastars to join a club without Champions League football and which has won the Turkish title only once since its heyday in the 1970s and early 1980s?

‘Why should I choose Trabzonspor?’

Located on the Black Sea coast, the city of Trabzon sits near the border with Georgia in the north-east corner of Turkey.

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With a population of around 800,000 people, it is not even in the top 20 when it comes to the country’s largest urban centres.

But Dogan claims it has something special.

“I always say this about Trabzonspor and the city – we’re the biggest one-club city in the world.

“Salah asked us something like, ‘Why should I choose Trabzonspor now?’

“We told him about the city and said: ‘You can be sure you will meet a group of supporters unlike any you have experienced before. You’ll feel the genuine love those people have inside them’.”

Born in January 1977, Dogan is himself a son of Trabzon.

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The businessman made his money through a series of different ventures, including real estate and hazelnuts, before moving into the energy sector and specialising in biofuels.

He became Trabzonspor president in 2023, shortly after the club’s most successful season in recent memory – having won the league title in 2021-22.

Under Dogan’s watch, the Black Sea Storm, as the club is known, have finished third, seventh and third in the Super Lig.

Last season they won the Turkish Cup under coach Fatih Tekke, who is now looking to guide his team into the Europa League, despite a 0-1 home defeat in the first leg of their play-off tie against Hungary’s Ferencvaros.

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“We are working to make Trabzonspor and Trabzon itself a destination for talented young players from all over the world,” said Dogan.

“We want to take them to the next level, to move on to bigger European clubs. Those young players… [combined with] star players… a star in every way, with their lifestyle, their professionalism, their smile, their positive energy.

“Mohamed Salah is a really great example in this respect.”

Attention ‘cannot be given financial value’

During the off season Trabzonspor sold 20-year-old Ivorian midfielder Christ Inao Oulai to Fiorentina and Brazilian forward Felipe Augusto, 22, to Zenit St Petersburg – both for large profits after only one season at the club.

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Young players from Albania, Belgium, Cape Verde and Portugal have arrived to replace them, but Dogan wants to continue balancing those talents with experienced names.

Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana has returned for a second season on loan from Manchester United, but the deal for Salah is the potential gamechanger.

“The attention it has generated and the level of engagement it has created around the world cannot easily be given a direct financial value,” explained Dogan, who has openly admitted that Salah will be earning €17m per year (£14.6m, $19.9m), as well as 20% of any merchandise with his name on.

“Purely from a financial perspective, this transfer has no direct return as such.

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“We put up our season tickets this year. We had to make another increase. I told our fans, ‘Look, I’m bringing you Salah, one of the biggest stars in the world’.”

Dogan says nearly 70% of Salah’s salary this year was covered by season ticket sales made within the first four or five days after the announcement of his arrival.

The initial target was 25,000 season ticket sales, but the club now expects to exceed 30,000, while major companies have been calling the president, looking to get involved in Salah-mania.

“We’re having important discussions in Turkey, Europe and the Arab world as well.”

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‘The whole city lives for football’

The news that Trabzonspor had won the race for Salah’s signature after nine stellar seasons at Liverpool raised a few eyebrows.

Many had expected the man who sits fourth on the all-time list of Premier League goalscorers to sign a huge contract with a club in the Saudi Pro League like Cristiano Ronaldo or join Lionel Messi in the United States.

But while there was competition, Dogan says the deal happened quickly once negotiations really got going.

“Once we started talking, both sides genuinely approached each other very sincerely,” he said.

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“We’d actually been pursuing him since the World Cup, but we knew at the start he was also talking to other clubs.”

This meant Trabzonspor initially had to bide their time, given Dogan says there is an unwritten rule in Turkey that if one club is holding talks then the others will wait.

“Yes, there were clubs in Turkey who were interested,” he confirmed.

“After they said, ‘We’ve pulled out of this transfer’, we started talks. I think it took about five or six days to conclude.

“We had the first meeting over Zoom. At that point it was really just the two sides getting to know each other. Then Salah was on holiday – he was in Mykonos – and after that the talks continued again via Zoom.”

Trabzonspor finally brought Salah to Turkey for his medical in Istanbul.

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Dogan says they decided to hold it there to show the 34-year-old the kind of reception he would get across Turkey, not just in Trabzon.

Thousands of fans were at the airport to greet Salah when he arrived, even though it was in the middle of a working day.

Trabzonspor’s new star also made his debut in Istanbul, entering the fray as a second-half substitute in a 1-1 draw against Kasimpasa on the opening day of the new league season last weekend.

He is expected to make his home league debut in Trabzon on Sunday.

“The whole city lives for football,” said Dogan.

“Everywhere you go, on every corner, the city gives that player that energy and that happiness.”

Thanks to Mohamed Salah, Trabzonspor’s president could be smiling for a while yet.