Drogheda United to Face Trabzonspor in Historic Friendly
Drogheda United are heading into autumn with the possibility of facing one of world football’s biggest stars – Mohamed Salah – after confirming a glamour friendly against Trabzonspor in Turkey.
The League of Ireland club will travel to Papara Park on 1 October, the first time the Louth side have ever played on Turkish soil. It is more than just a pre-season-style hit-out dropped into the calendar; the game forms part of the build-up to the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Turkey, which will be marked in 2026.
This is a relationship with deep roots. Drogheda are one of Trabzonspor’s three official sister clubs, alongside Sanlıurfaspor and Siirt Provincial Special Administration Sport, a bond that stretches far beyond the usual marketing tie-ins.
That connection will be explored on Turkish television in a new documentary, An Gorta Mór – The Star & The Crescent, which will air around the fixture. The film looks at the story of Ottoman humanitarian aid during the Irish Famine, a chapter of history that quietly underpins this modern football link.
On the RTÉ Soccer podcast in 2020, former Drogheda United PRO Roisin Philips outlined just how far back it all goes.
"It goes back far longer than 2011 when they announced that we'd become their sister club," she said. "In fact it goes back to the Great Famine in 1845. Drogheda had links with Turkey as a result of the Sultan at the time sending aid over to the Irish people. Boats came up the Boyne in Drogheda. He also sent £1,000 at the time.
"There's been a long history of co-operation between the two countries, from the Turkish side to Ireland."
So this is no ordinary friendly. It is history, politics and football wrapped into one trip – and for Drogheda, it doubles as a timely late-season mini-camp during a three-week international break.
Whether Salah actually lines out against them is another matter. The Egyptian star is due to be on international duty, with Egypt facing South Sudan in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying on 27 September. The scheduling means the former Liverpool forward may not feature for Trabzonspor in the Drogheda game.
His club schedule is tight as well. Trabzonspor’s Super Lig campaign restarts the following week after its own pause, with Salah and his team-mates set for an away fixture against Samsunspor.
Even if he is absent, the scale of the challenge for Drogheda remains clear. Trabzonspor have assembled a high-profile squad in recent seasons, headlined by Salah’s arrival after his trophy-laden spell at Anfield. He is joined by his former Liverpool colleague Fabinho and ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana in a dressing room stacked with top-level experience.
For Drogheda, it is a rare chance to test themselves in a major European arena, under lights, in a stadium where expectations are always high. For Trabzonspor, it is a showcase of their global reach and a nod to a 19th-century act of generosity that still echoes into the modern game.
On 1 October, those old ties will step out of the history books and walk onto the pitch.
