Ex-Man Utd boss Solskjaer offered SHOCK return to management

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 22 Dec 2023 17:40 GMT
• 3 min read

Former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reportedly been offered an 18-month contract by Turkish club Besiktas following the sacking of Riza Calimbay.

Calimbay was removed from his post as Besiktas manager on December 21, following a 3-1 home loss to Alanyaspor.

The result has left Besiktas in fifth place in the Super Lig table, 17 points behind league leaders Fenerbahce.

Calimbay was in charge for just seven matches following his appointment in November and his record of three wins, three defeats and one draw was deemed not good enough by the Besiktas board.

Now, the hunt for a replacement has begun and Solskjaer has been offered a one-and-a-half year deal to become the new Besiktas head coach, according to Turkish journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu.

The Norwegian has been out of work since being sacked by Man Utd in November 2021.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time as Man Utd manager

Solskjaer, 50, oversaw 149 matches as Man Utd’s permanent manager - in addition to 19 as caretaker boss - before he was replaced by Ralf Rangnick in the Old Trafford dugout.

He guided the Red Devils to a second-place finish in his first full season in charge (2020-21), but was sacked just months into the following campaign following a 4-1 defeat away at Watford.

Solskjaer’s final 11 games in charge of Man Utd saw them pick up just three wins, with the result at Vicarage Road proving to be the nail in his coffin.

However, despite the poor end to his time at Old Trafford and the fact he’s been without a managerial job since departing Man Utd, Besiktas are reportedly keen on Solskjaer becoming their next head coach.

The 50-year-old has only managed three clubs in his career (Man Utd, Molde and Cardiff), but is set to be given the reins in Istanbul as Besiktas look to achieve European football.