Mohamed Salah’s new chapter in Turkey has been thrown into uncertainty after the sudden exit of head coach Fatih Tekke. The former Liverpool star is now caught up in a managerial hunt only five matches into his spell at the Super Lig side.

Boardroom turmoil came before Tekke’s departure.

The situation at Trabzonspor reached breaking point this week when the club finally confirmed that Tekke had left his role as head coach. The development comes as a major shock because the board had publicly backed the manager less than a week earlier. The unrest started straight after a humiliating 5-0 aggregate loss to Hungarian club Ferencvaros in the Europa League play-offs.

After that European setback, Tekke dramatically tried to resign, saying that he "has the right to punish myself" because of the team’s poor display. But in a strange turn of events, the club first refused to accept his departure. The hierarchy released an official statement saying his resignation had been "rejected" and maintained that he would take charge of the side in their next domestic game. That brief show of support disappeared quickly after the team fell to a 2-1 defeat against Amedspor on Tuesday.

Official club statement on the departure.

With the atmosphere around the club becoming increasingly toxic, fresh talks were held between the board and the manager in an effort to find a solution. Those discussions ended with a mutual agreement to end his contract with immediate effect. The club then issued a detailed statement outlining the decision.

The statement said: "As a result of the discussions held, we have mutually agreed to part ways with Fatih Tekke in line with Trabzonspor's interests and future-oriented goals."

The club also made a point of stressing the positive influence the coach had during his spell in charge, especially in terms of trophies and financial benefit. "Over the approximately 18-month period he served, Fatih Tekke added significant value to Trabzonspor," the club said. "In addition to his contributions to the development of the players integrated into our squad during this time, he provided our club with important gains both in sporting and economic terms. By bringing the Turkish Cup to our trophy cabinet, he once again inscribed his name in Trabzonspor history."

New roadmap for the Turkish giants.

The exit brings Tekke’s time at the club to a close, with the coach clearly hurt by the team’s recent decline. The statement continued: "At the point we have reached today, we have arrived at a mutual understanding with our coach - who expressed that he could never accept his presence causing any harm to Trabzonspor in any way - that it is inevitable to chart a new roadmap by placing the club's interests above all else."

The club ended its tribute by wishing the 48-year-old success in the next stage of his football career, adding: "We thank our coach for the effort, dedicated work, successes he achieved, and the value he added to our club up to this point. We wish Fatih Tekke success in his future career; as a member of the Trabzonspor community, I want to express that we will always remember him with respect for the beautiful emotions he brought to our club and the valuable legacy he left behind."

Salah left in uncertainty after a bright start.

For Mohamed Salah, the timing of the departure could hardly be worse. The Egyptian forward joined the Turkish club in a high-profile summer transfer and has been one of the few positives in an otherwise difficult start to the campaign. The former Liverpool talisman has scored three goals in just five appearances, showing that he still has the sharp finishing that made him a Premier League icon.

As the search for a permanent replacement goes on, Trabzonspor have confirmed that Huseyin Cimsir will take charge as interim manager for the next match. In spite of Salah’s goals, the club have managed only one win from their opening three league games, and the pressure is growing to get the season back on track.