German coach Thomas Reis takes over Trabzonspor, works with Salah

Thomas Reis, the 52‑year‑old German coach, stands surrounded by fans in front of the stadium and takes up his new position in Turkey. At the same time, in the summer the Egyptian striker star Mohamed Salah moved to the Turkish top club Trabzonspor. Both have each signed a two‑year contract.

Contract and Succession

Reis signed a two‑year contract, as the club announced, and thereby replaced Fatih Tekke, who had resigned after a failed Europa League qualification. Previously, the coach was under contract with the Bulgarian club Ludogorets Razgrad. The move marks the first German manager who had already been active in the Bundesliga at the Turkish top club.

„Working with a player of his calibre is probably one of the finest things that can happen to a manager,” said the 52‑year‑old coach. At the same time he emphasized: „To win games we need not only Salah, but the whole team. We need all eleven players who work hard.“

Experience in Turkey and Germany

Reis knows Turkish football very well: in 2024 he took over Samsunspor, leading the club sensationally to third place and into the Europa League. In February of this year, however, he had to leave after the team slipped into the midfield.

From 2022 to 2023 he managed Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga, unable to prevent the relegation of the Royal Blues. „I have already worked in the Süper Lig, I am not a newcomer here. I know the environment and understand how intense the games are here,“ emphasized Reis.

Trabzonspor currently sits in ninth place in the Süper Lig, six points behind the top of the table. In the Conference League the club meets in the group stage, among others, the Bundesliga side SC Freiburg.