Trabzonspor reject manager's 'emotional' resignation

Trabzonspor have rejected the "emotional" resignation of head coach Fatih Tekke after the Turkish side, who signed Mohamed Salah in the summer, were knocked out of the Europa League on Thursday.

The Super Lig team suffered a 4-0 defeat by Ferencvaros in Hungary to lose the play-off tie 5-0 on aggregate.

In the aftermath, Tekke, who led Trabzonspor to a third-place finish in the league last season, tendered his resignation.

But that was rejected by the club on Friday, with the club saying the 48-year-old's decision stemmed from the "intense emotional impact" of the Europa League exit.

Salah said despite the "disappointment" of the defeat by Ferencvaros, he believed Trabzonspor "will deliver".

"Nothing in my career ever came easy. Bad nights and disappointments are part of football, and I have learned to turn them into motivation and into trophies," he wrote on X.

"Trabzonspor is my club, and I am part of this project, body and soul. Last night will not change that.

"I know expectations are high, and I truly believe we can and will deliver. 'I came here to win' is not just a slogan to me."

Trabzonspor will instead compete in the Europa Conference League this season, with Scottish side Hearts among their six opponents.

The seven-time Turkish champions have been busy in the transfer market this summer, signing Premier League winners Salah and Fabinho. Andre Onana has also rejoined the club on loan from Manchester United.

Salah, 34, made the shock decision to sign for Trabzonspor last month after mutually agreeing to end his contract at Liverpool last season.

The Egypt international is the third-highest scorer in the Reds' history, behind only Ian Rush and Roger Hunt, after scoring 257 goals in 442 appearances following his move from Roma in 2017.

Salah scored his first two goals for his new club in Saturday's 2-1 win against Istanbul Basaksehir.