Besiktas have sacked former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the Turkish club was eliminated from the Europa Conference League play-offs by Swiss team Lausanne-Sport.
The 52-year-old lasted just seven months in Istanbul, having been appointed in January on an 18-month contract worth around £3m.
His dismissal came hours after a 1-0 home defeat sealed a 2-1 aggregate loss and ended Besiktas’ hopes of playing European football this season.
Besiktas confirmed the news in a short statement: “Our contract with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been terminated following a decision made at the board meeting. Chairman Serdal Adalı thanked Solskjaer for his services to date.”
Solskjaer had led the club to a fourth-place finish in the Super Lig last season after replacing Giovanni van Bronckhorst midway through the campaign.
But a poor summer in Europe proved costly. The Black Eagles first failed to reach the Europa League group stage, losing 6-2 on aggregate to Shakhtar Donetsk, before suffering a shock Conference League elimination against Lausanne.
The Norwegian’s departure comes just one match into the new Super Lig season, underlining the club’s urgency after back-to-back European failures. Former Borussia Dortmund star and coach Nuri Sahin is already being linked with the vacant role.
Solskjaer had been out of management since leaving Manchester United in November 2021 before making his surprise move to Turkey. His stint ends without silverware and with Besiktas facing another season without European football.
