The new manager of Besiktas, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, stated on Sunday that he accepted the job offer from the Turkish Super Lig team because it brought back memories of his previous management position at Manchester United.
With a one-year extension option, the 51-year-old Norwegian has committed to a contract that will run through the end of the upcoming season.
His first management position after being fired by United in 2021 is this one.
In December 2018, while Manchester United was sixth in the league, Solskjaer took over as interim manager.
He spent the rest of the season in that position, succeeding Jose Mourinho, who is currently manager of Fenerbahce.
The Norwegian’s record of 10 wins out of 13 league games won him a three-year contract.
He led United to a Europa League final and Premier League finishes of third and second. However, he left United in seventh place in the league standings in November 2021 due to a bad run of form.
“I’ve been outside football for a little while, as a boss,” Solskjaer told reporters.
“But I’ve been working in UEFA and I’ve been following football as well as this club.
I find this project to be rather similar to Manchester United.
First we were sixth, then third, and then second.
This is done step-by-step.
“And of course we’re here to win, so hopefully we can make it faster.
However, we must exercise realism. Indeed, I received a lot of offers, but as I previously stated, the offer had to be good enough to make me leave my ideal existence.
Sixth in the standings right now are Besiktas, who have won the Turkish Super Lig championship sixteen times.
Ever since Giovanni van Bronckhorst departed in November, they have been without a permanent head coach.
“You need to feel that heartbeat racing again, because (you ask) ‘do you have the energy?’ and the project that the President and the board have been talking to me about it was the right thing I needed now,” he added.
“I’ve been following United (since I left) and it’s difficult when it goes down. You need to just turn the boat and hopefully we can turn the boat quickly here.”
Solskjaer commended the team’s young players, including Mustafa Hekimoglu, 17, and Semih Kilicsoy, 19.
“A little bit unfair to compare with Erling Haaland,” he said.
“Because Haaland is one of the best strikers in the world, but we will help them to become as good as they can get.”
Solskjaer’s side visit Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in May in the Super Lig.
With two league games remaining, Besiktas is one point outside of the play-off spots in the 28th position of the Europa League standings.
