Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed as the new head coach of Besiktas.
The 51-year-old Norwegian has signed an 18-month contract, with an option to extend into the 2026-27 season. This marks his first managerial role since his dismissal from United in 2021.
Besiktas, 16-time champions of the Turkish Super Lig, currently sit in sixth place and have been without a permanent manager since Dutch coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst departed in November.
“We believe Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will make significant contributions to our club, and we warmly welcome him to the Besiktas family, wishing him great success,” said the Istanbul club.
The former striker temporarily replaced Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford in December 2018 before securing a three-year contract in March 2019.
During his tenure, he led the Red Devils to a second-place finish in the Premier League and an appearance in the Europa League final. However, he was dismissed following a series of poor results and left the club without securing a trophy.
Prior to his appointment at United, Solskjaer had two stints at Molde and one at Cardiff City.
As a player, he scored 126 goals over 11 seasons for United from 1996 to 2007, including the iconic winner in the 1999 Champions League final.
Besiktas currently sit 28th in the Europa League standings, just one point outside the play-off spots with two group-stage matches remaining, alongside United.
Solskjaer will face an away trip to Mourinho’s Fenerbahce on May 4 in the Super Lig.