Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed as head coach of Turkish giants Besiktas, the club announced on Saturday. This marks Solskjaer’s return to club management after more than three years out of the dugout.
The 51-year-old Norwegian, who was dismissed by Manchester United in November 2021, succeeds Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who was sacked by Besiktas at the end of November.
“A contract has been signed with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer… until the end of the 2025-2026 season, with the 2026-2027 season as an option,” Besiktas confirmed in a press release.
Solskjaer, a Manchester United legend, made over 200 appearances as a striker for the club and was a key figure in their historic treble-winning campaign in 1998-99, famously scoring the decisive goal in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
After retiring from playing, Solskjaer transitioned into coaching, with a long managerial stint at Norwegian side Molde before returning to Manchester United as manager in 2018. While he guided United to a second-place Premier League finish and a Europa League final, his tenure ended following a series of poor results.
In the interim, Solskjaer served as a technical observer for UEFA but has now returned to the sidelines, taking over a Besiktas side currently sixth in the Turkish Super Lig.
Besiktas trail league leaders Galatasaray by 21 points and second-placed Fenerbahce—coached by Solskjaer’s predecessor at Manchester United, Jose Mourinho—by 12 points. The appointment signals the Istanbul club’s ambition to rejuvenate their season under the leadership of the experienced Norwegian.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
