January 17th 2025.
After a long hiatus from the football world, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is finally making his way back to the managerial scene. The former Manchester United boss has been in talks with Turkish side Besiktas and is on the verge of sealing a deal to become their new head coach.
It has been a while since Solskjaer has been on the sidelines, as he last managed a club back in November 2021 when he left United. Despite receiving offers from various clubs and even national teams, the Norwegian has been patiently waiting for the right opportunity to arise.
And it seems like that opportunity has come in the form of Besiktas, who are currently on the lookout for a new manager after parting ways with Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst in November. In a brief statement, the club confirmed that they are in negotiations with Solskjaer for the role of Football A team technical director.
Interestingly, this is not the first time Solskjaer has been linked with the Besiktas job. He was also a candidate for the same position back in June last year, but the club eventually hired Van Bronckhorst. However, with the former Rangers boss now out of the picture, Solskjaer is set to be given his chance to prove himself in Turkey.
Reports suggest that the 51-year-old will sign a one-and-a-half-year deal with Besiktas, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2026. He is expected to attend their upcoming match against Samsunspor this Saturday before officially taking charge of the team for their Europa League game against Athletic Bilbao next week.
Solskjaer's return to the dugout comes after a gap of three years, during which he has been working as a technical observer for UEFA. Besiktas, on the other hand, have been struggling this season and currently sit 28th in the Europa League league phase and sixth in the Turkish top flight. The club is hopeful that Solskjaer's arrival will bring about a change in their fortunes.
For Solskjaer, this will be a chance to redeem himself after his disappointing exit from United. The Norwegian had initially taken over as caretaker manager in December 2018, following the dismissal of Jose Mourinho. He then went on to earn a permanent contract and led his former club to third and second-place finishes in the Premier League in his two full seasons.
However, things took a turn for the worse and Solskjaer faced the axe after a string of poor results, including a 4-1 defeat against Watford. Now, with a new challenge ahead of him, the former striker will be looking to prove that he still has what it takes to succeed as a manager. And for Besiktas, they will be hoping that Solskjaer's return to the dugout will bring back the glory days for their club.
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