Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has been without a managerial role since leaving Manchester United in November 2021, is currently engaged in discussions with Besiktas to potentially assume the position as their new manager, succeeding Riza Calimbay. The Turkish club has reportedly initiated talks with Solskjaer, indicating a potential return to the management field for the Norwegian.
Besiktas is currently facing challenges, standing fifth in the Super Lig table and enduring a series of games without a win in domestic competitions this month. Recent setbacks include losses against Alanyaspor and Fenerbahce, as well as a 5-0 home defeat by Club Brugge in the Europa Conference League. Despite these struggles, they secured a 2-0 victory against Lugano on the final matchday to secure third place in their group.
Solskjaer started his managerial journey overseeing Manchester United’s Under-21 side in 2008 before coaching Molde in Norway three years later. He had a brief and challenging period at Cardiff City in 2014 before returning to Molde in 2015.
He was brought back to Manchester United in December 2018 after the departure of Jose Mourinho, initially as a caretaker manager. His success led to a permanent managerial position in March 2019.
Though praised for his man-management and success in big games, Solskjaer faced criticism for not securing trophies during his tenure. Despite high-profile signings like Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, and Jadon Sancho in the summer of 2021, Manchester United fell short of expectations, leading to Solskjaer’s departure early in the season. Ralf Rangnick took over as interim boss for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign, and Erik ten Hag was announced as the club’s permanent manager in April 2022.
Now, amid ongoing negotiations with Besiktas, Solskjaer might step back into the managerial role, potentially bringing his experience and coaching skills to the Super Lig as he looks for a new beginning in football management. The development of these discussions will be closely watched as Solskjaer ponders a fresh chapter in his managerial career.
