Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has returned to football more than three years after his brutal sacking at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer, 51, has taken charge of Turkish giants Besiktas and his appointment was confirmed after he posed with the club's scarf on Friday morning.
The photo was posted on Besiktas' official X account and Solskjaer, who has been out of work since leaving United in 2021, is believed to have signed his contract.
Early on Friday, the club confirmed in a brief statement that talks had begun with the Norwegian, who landed in Istanbul and was received by several officials.
“I'm very happy to be here,” Solskjaer told reporters at the airport. “It's fantastic to have so many people here for this great club. We've had our first meetings.
'I really want to start working. “It's great to be in this great city.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has returned to football three years after his dismissal from Man United
Solskjaer, 51, has been out of work since he was sacked at Old Trafford in November 2021.
He has taken over a struggling Besiktas side that sits sixth in the Turkish Super League.
Solskjaer enjoys legendary status at United following his playing career and won 91 of his 168 games as the club's manager, guiding them to a second-place finish in the Premier League and the Europa League final in 2020-21.
Solskjaer, who previously managed Molde in his homeland for two spells and Cardiff City, has been linked with a number of jobs in recent months, with the former striker tipped to take over at both Leicester and West Ham.
He was even spotted at Molineux for Gary O'Neil's final Wolves game against Ipswich in December, although it was later revealed that he was there to support his former United assistant Kieran McKenna, the Tractor Boys manager.
There has been no official confirmation on the length of his contract with Besiktas, but he is expected to sign a one-and-a-half year contract until 2026.
The Turkish heavyweights have been without a manager since sacking former Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst last month.
With the measure now approved, Solskjaer will face José Mourinho in the Turkish Super League, ranked as the tenth best division in Europe.
Mourinho is currently in charge of Fenerbahce, Besiktas' rivals in Istanbul, which adds intrigue given that Solskjaer was the coach who succeeded Mourinho at Old Trafford.
Mourinho's time in Turkey has been as dramatic as ever, with the former Chelsea, Tottenham and United manager regularly speaking out against refereeing standards, while recently labeling the league “toxic”.
Solskjaer has been linked with several jobs since leaving United but turned down offers
The 51-year-old (second from right) won 91 of his 168 games in charge of the Red Devils.
Solskjaer was able to watch Besiktas' upcoming league clash against Samsunspor on Saturday from the stands, before taking charge of their first match against Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League on Wednesday.
But he has taken charge of a team that is enduring a difficult season, with Besiktas in 28th place in the Europa League group stage and languishing in sixth place in the league.
His team includes former Premier League stars Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joao Mario and Arthur Masuaku.
The move to Türkiye also comes after Solskjaer was briefly touted for a shock return to Old Trafford before Ruben Amorim took over in November.
His time in charge of United, which initially began as a caretaker role, came after Solskjaer enjoyed 11 successful seasons as a player between 1996 and 2007.
He scored 126 goals for the Red Devils and won 12 trophies, including six Premier League and Champions League titles during the famous 1998-99 Treble season.
After retiring in 2007 due to injury, Solskjaer took charge of United's reserve team, before impressing as coach of Molde in his homeland between 2010 and 2014, winning two national titles.
Solskjaer's success secured him the Cardiff City job, but the 51-year-old endured a difficult nine-month spell in south Wales, where he was unable to prevent the Bluebirds' relegation from the Premier League.
He returned to Molde in 2015 and spent more than three years in the role before being recalled by United in December 2018.