Solskjaer sacked by Besiktas after European flop / Photo: Yasin AKGUL - AFP
Solskjaer sacked by Besiktas after European flop
Former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked as coach of Besiktas on Thursday after the Turkish club fell to a costly second-leg defeat in their UEFA Conference League play-off with Swiss side Lausanne.
The decision was reached during an emergency meeting after the 1-0 defeat in Istanbul which sent Besiktas tumbling out of European competition altogether as they were eliminated 2-1 on aggregate.
"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," said the Istanbul club in a statement.
The 52-year-old was only appointed to the post in January of this year, following a three-year break from coaching.
However, following a fourth-placed finish in the Turkish league last season, the Norwegian had been under mounting pressure after Besiktas were knocked out by Shakhtar Donetsk in the second qualifying round of the Europa League at the end of July.
Solskjaer cut his teeth with former playing club Man United's reserves prior to getting his first senior job at Norwegian club Molde.
In December 2019, he was appointed interim boss at Old Trafford, before impressing sufficiently to get the job on a permanent basis three months later.
Despite guiding Man Utd to a runners-up finish in the 2020/21 Premier League season, Solskjaer was shown the door in November 2021.
M.Stevenson--EWJ
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