Besiktas dismisses Solskjaer following underwhelming European performance
Istanbul, Turkey - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's coaching tenure at Besiktas has come to an end, the club announced in a statement. The Norwegian manager was appointed as head coach of the Turkish club in January of this year, but his contract has been terminated following an emergency meeting.
The decision was made after Besiktas suffered a 1-0 defeat in Istanbul, which eliminated them from European competition altogether. The aggregate score was 2-1 in favor of their opponent.
Solskjaer took a three-year break from coaching before joining Besiktas, having been terminated from his position at Man Utd in November 2021. He had impressed sufficiently to get the job on a permanent basis at Old Trafford in March 2020, finishing the 2020/21 Premier League season in a runners-up position with Man Utd.
Prior to his time at Man Utd, Solskjaer's coaching career began with the club's reserves. His first senior coaching job was at Norwegian club Molde, where he led the team to three consecutive league titles.
Solskjaer had been under mounting pressure following Besiktas' fourth-place finish in the Turkish league last season, and was also under pressure after the club were knocked out by Shakhtar Donetsk in the second qualifying round of the Europa League at the end of July.
The specific reason for Solskjaer's termination was not specified in the statement. However, the president of Besiktas, Serdal Adali, expressed gratitude to Solskjaer for his services.
Despite the termination, Solskjaer has yet to secure a new coaching position. Reports only mention his release from the Turkish club after approximately seven months as coach, with no information about a new appointment available.
