Freiburg’s Jordy Makengo on marking Mohamed Salah: “I always used to play as him on PlayStation!”

During Thursday's 1-0 Conference League victory over Trabzonspor, SC Freiburg's Jordy Makengo had an unusual encounter against former Liverpool superstar Mohamed Salah. Makengo, a left-back for Freiburg, discovered he had previously played as Salah on his PlayStation console. The 25-year-old Freiburg defender played a crucial role in containing Salah, who became increasingly dangerous as the match progressed.

Freiburg's defensive unit largely succeeded in limiting Salah's influence, and Makengo, along with Vincenzo Grifo and Philipp Lienhart, played a particularly important role in closing down Salah's spaces on the right flank. Speaking in the mixed zone following the victory, Makengo expressed his excitement at facing the global football star in real life, saying, "I'm a big FIFA gamer on PlayStation.

I always used to play as him, and now I'm playing against him in real life. That's simply incredible, and I'm really happy about it." Freiburg head coach Julian Schuster found the situation amusing, stating, "If the PlayStation has something positive to offer, perhaps this is it." The encounter highlighted another positive milestone in Makengo's development, following a difficult 2025/26 campaign where he struggled to establish himself consistently.