Solskjaer fired by Besiktas after Conference League failure, Palace squeeze through / Photo: Yasin AKGUL - AFP
Solskjaer fired by Besiktas after Conference League failure, Palace squeeze through
Besiktas fired coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Thursday after losing 1-0 at home to Lausanne to crash out of the UEFA Conference League 2-1 on aggregate in their qualification playoff.
Elsewhere, Crystal Palace, playing the second match of their first European campaign, ground out a goalless draw at Fredrikstad in Norway to go through to the league phase 1-0 on aggregate.
Other favourites, including AZ Alkmaar, Fiorentina, Rayo Vallecano and Mainz all cruised through while Strasbourg held on to win in Brondby.
In Istanbul, English striker Nathan Butler-Oyedeji scored the only goal in first-half added time as Lausanne upset Besiktas.
The home team played the second half with 10 men after defender Felix Uduokhai was sent off in the 46th minute for a foul on Brandon Soppy.
The club then released a statement saying they had held an emergency meeting.
"Our contract with head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been terminated as a result of the decision made during the board meeting. Our president Serdal Adali expressed his gratitude to Solskjaer for his services."
Solskjaer, the former Manchester United, Cardiff City and Molde boss was hired in January of this year and lifted Besiktas from sixth to fourth place in the Super Lig. His team had won their only league game so far this season.
In Norway, Fredrikstad rarely threatened to cut short Palace's first-ever European campaign.
"It is a huge achievement to go into the group stage," Palace manager Oliver Glasner told British broadcaster Channel 5.
In a game of few chances on an artificial pitch, Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored the only goal of the first leg, went close twice for Palace. The hosts did not manage a shot on target.
"Against an opposition which is not easy to play, we had to accept it and the players did well and defended the box excellently," said Glasner.
"We know we have to and can play better in possession. We lost too many balls too easily."
The lacklustre draw stretched Palace's unbeaten run to 13 competitive matches, dating back to April 16 when they lost 5-0 to Newcastle in the Premier League.
On his 51st birthday, Glasner made only three changes from the team that drew with Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday with Marc Guehi, heavily linked with Liverpool, captaining the side.
"I told everyone at the club I didn't want to talk about transfers today," said Glasner. "Our job is to be successful going into the group stage. I cannot be deflecting to this transfer noise."
In a Europa League qualifying game between two teams that have to play their home legs in other countries, Panamanian forward Eduardo Guerrero scored after five minutes to give Dynamo Kyiv hope in Lublin, Poland.
But Maccabi Tel Aviv, who had won the first leg 3-1 in Serbia, held on to advance.
F.Stewart--EWJ
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