Why one Irish team is set to face Salah's Trabzonspor

What the report says

Drogheda United are due to travel to Turkey to play Trabzonspor in a friendly at Papara Park, the 40,000-seat stadium on the Black Sea coast, in what BBC Sport says is a rare meeting shaped by a long-running connection between the clubs. The fixture follows a relationship that began online nearly two decades ago, when supporters noticed links including shared claret and blue colours and the star and crescent symbol associated with the Turkish flag.

BBC Sport reports that the bond deepened after Drogheda entered examinership in 2008, when Trabzonspor fans sent letters of support and cash. The clubs later became sister teams, although an earlier plan for a match in Dublin was washed out by heavy rain. Since then, fans from both sides have increasingly followed each other, with Trabzonspor shirts and flags appearing at Drogheda games and Turkish visitors sometimes stopping by the Irish club.

The article says the trip is expected to draw a small group of Drogheda supporters making the long journey to Turkey, while some Trabzonspor fans have offered accommodation. It also notes the broader Irish-Turkish historical context, including humanitarian aid from the Ottoman Empire during the Great Famine and this year’s 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Mohamed Salah’s presence is uncertain, but BBC Sport says the match is notable even without him because of Trabzonspor’s recent profile and the unusual club connection.