Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has returned to management after more than three years in the wilderness to take charge of Besiktas.
The 51-year-old hasn’t held a managerial role since being axed by Manchester United in November 2021 following a shock 4-1 defeat at Watford.
At this stage last year, the Norwegian was in talks about returning to football to take charge of Sweden’s national team, but ultimately missed out to Jon Dahl Tomasson.
But he is now set to finally step back in the dugout of a club as he prepares for a new chapter in Turkey.
After announcing talks with Solskjaer on Friday morning, Besiktas then posted an image of the iconic striker in a club scarf, confirming the news.
Solskjaer’s new role in Turkey means he will come up against Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho, who he replaced in the hot seat at Old Trafford in December 2018.
It has been claimed that Besiktas turned to Solskjaer after ex-Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac rejected the role.
Besiktas have been on the lookout for a new manager since parting ways with ex-Arsenal left-back Giovanni van Bronckhorst in December.
The Dutchman’s exit at the club saw Serdar Topraktepe take charge of Besiktas on an interim basis.
As it stands, the club currently sit sixth in the table – a whopping 20 points behind leaders Galatasaray.
And Solskjaer will be hoping his experienced players step up in the second half of the season with silverware still available in the form of the Turkish Cup, with the club in danger of missing out on a Europa League knockout play-off spot as they sit 28th in the 36-team table.
Solskjaer’s first match in charge will come against Athletic Bilbao next Wednesday.
It is understood that he will be in the stands at Besiktas Stadium to watch their league clash with Samsunspor on Saturday.
Solskjaer recently suggested he was not committed to the idea of returning to management unless the perfect opportunity came along.
Speaking in November, he said: “I have reached a position where I can pick and choose, and I am lucky there. Financially, I don’t need anything.
“It must be something exciting enough, together with the right people. But I feel so well now that there must be something that triggers me enough for me to choose to travel from Nordmore [in Norway].
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“I think that a national team could suit me, but then it can’t be on the other side of the globe.”
Solskjaer also admitted he rejected two managerial offers during his hiatus from the game.
He added: “I had two options, but it would have taken half a day to travel, and there is a time difference in the picture, so I opted out. Even if I could then take part in the championship.”
