Solskjaer Delivers Humorous Mourinho Comeback as Besiktas Defeats Fenerbahce
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has responded to Jose Mourinho’s subtle comment regarding his tenure at Manchester United.
Now the head coach of Besiktas, Solskjaer revitalized his managerial career in Turkey in January 2025.
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Credit: Getty
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Credit: Getty
The Norwegian previously managed Manchester United from 2018, starting as caretaker manager and staying until 2021 when he was let go.
At 52 years old, Solskjaer took over from Mourinho in December 2018 and earned the full-time role after winning 14 out of his first 19 matches.
Mourinho is now at the helm of Fenerbahce, and the two former Man Utd managers faced off last weekend at Fener’s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.
Solskjaer’s team secured a narrow 1-0 win against the run of play, despite Fenerbahce having the upper hand during the match.
The home side controlled 62 percent of possession and made 17 attempts on goal, while the visitors held 38 percent possession with eight attempts.
Nonetheless, Gedson Fernandes netted just before half-time to clinch the victory for Besiktas, prompting a frustrated Mourinho to quip, “If we played Besiktas 10 times, we’d win eight. They’d win one, and one would end in a draw.”
In response, Solskjaer humorously remarked, “Well then, it looks like they’ll be winning the next 8.”
Interestingly, Fernandes’ goal for Besiktas is noteworthy since he had previously joined Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur on loan in 2020, where he only made seven appearances during a challenging spell.
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Solskjaer, who played 235 matches for United, was let go after a 4-1 defeat to Watford in November 2021 and was subsequently succeeded by Ralf Rangnick.
The former striker mentioned that he had declined multiple offers to return to coaching while waiting for the right opportunity.
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Ultimately, he was drawn back to management by Turkish club Besiktas, signing a one-and-a-half-year contract.
Since then, he has led the team to eight victories and one draw in his first 12 matches, including an important 2-1 win in the fierce derby against Galatasaray in March.