Why Mohamed Salah wore No. 61 shirt to greet Trabzonspor fans as Liverpool legend closes in on move to Turkish Super Lig
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Updated 05/08/2026 at 14:56 GMT+1
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It is safe to say they are excited about the arrival of Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah at Turkish side Trabzonspor. The ‘Egyptian King’ is set to pen a two-year deal with the Super Lig side after departing Anfield as a free agent at the end of last season.
Salah receives hero’s welcome by hundreds of Trabzonspor fans ahead of signing for Turkish outfit
Video credit: SNTV
Before the move was officially announced, the club and its fans were already unable to contain their excitement.
Trabzonspor’s official social media accounts posted a link to a live tracker following the 34-year-old’s flight to Istanbul on Wednesday as he prepared to touch down to seal his move.
Salah received a raucous reception when he arrived as he was photographed celebrating with fans outside the airport.
But before any of that, one detail had piqued the curiosity of eagle-eyed onlookers: Salah’s choice of number.
A social media post from the club showed Salah wearing a Trabzonspor shirt with the caption: ”Salah mode: ON”.
On the back of the shirt, Salah wore the No. 61 rather than the usual No. 11 shirt he wore for years at Liverpool, or the No. 10 he regularly dons for the Egyptian national team.
Why was Salah wearing the No. 61 shirt?
The choice was no coincidence. Trabzon’s area code, written on vehicle number plates in Turkey, is 61, and it has become a symbol of the city in north-eastern Turkey.
”When we are 6-0 ahead, they want us to concede a goal so the match can finish 6-1,” one fan told Copa 90.
”People pay extra to get a phone number that starts or ends with a 61,” said another.
The connection to the number manifests itself on match days too, as the Trabzonspor stadium traditionally erupts into a festival atmosphere when the clock ticks into the 61st minute.
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It is a popular number at the club; Cihan Canak has had the No. 61 shirt over the last two seasons, while Yusuf Yazici, Abdulkadir Parmak, Abdulkadir Omur, Zeki Yavru, Ibrahim Yattara, Baris Memis and Gokdeniz Karadeniz have also worn it since the turn of the century.
It remains to be seen whether Salah’s new number will be a permanent feature once he signs on the dotted line, or if he will revert to a more familiar choice.
Either way, he has already deepened his connection with the fans.
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