Ole Gunnar Solskjær appointed Besiktas coach in 1st role since being fired by Man United

ISTANBUL (AP) — Ole Gunnar Solskjær was hired as Beşiktaş coach on Saturday in his first managerial position since being fired by Manchester United more than three years ago.

The Turkish club said Solskjær has been given an 18-month contract, taking the Norwegian through to the end of next season, with the option for a further year.

“We believe Ole Gunnar Solskjær will make significant contributions to our club, and we warmly welcome him to the Beşiktaş family, wishing him great success,” Beşiktaş said in a statement.

Beşiktaş, which was playing third-place Samsunspor later on Saturday, is sixth in the Turkish league standings and has been without a coach since Dutchman Giovanni van Bronckhorst was fired in late November.

Solskjær hasn’t coached since 2021, when he was let go by United.

He won six Premier League titles in a glittering career as player for United, memorably scoring the dramatic late winner in the 1999 Champions League final.

The 51-year-old Solskjær also managed Cardiff briefly in 2014 and Norwegian club Molde on two occasions.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wears a Besiktas scarf after being appointed head coach of the Turkish soccer team, outside the Besiktas Sports Club headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Saycan Sayim/DIA Photo via AP)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wears a Besiktas scarf after being appointed head coach of the Turkish soccer team, outside the Besiktas Sports Club headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Saycan Sayim/DIA Photo via AP)

FILE - Manchester United's manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reacts after the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Manchester United at King Power stadium in Leicester, England, Oct. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira, file)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer holds a Besiktas scarf after being appointed head coach of the Turkish soccer team, outside the Besiktas Sports Club headquarters in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (Saycan Sayim/DIA Photo via AP)

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Uruguay arrived in South Florida on Sunday night ahead of its opening World Cup match after the team's plane was delayed for a couple of hours in Mexico.

Uruguay will face Saudi Arabia in a Group H opener Monday night at Hard Rock Stadium, one of 16 venues in the expanded 48-team tournament. The team held a training session in Cancun on Sunday morning.

“Due to an airline permitting error in Mexico, the Uruguay national team’s departure from Cancun to Miami was delayed,” FIFA said in a statement. “The airline has apologized for the inconvenience caused. FIFA remained in close contact with the Uruguay national team throughout their delay and worked alongside airport and operational partners to help expedite the process and minimize disruption to the team’s travel arrangements.”

Coach Marcelo Bielsa and defender Jose Maria Gimenez spoke to reporters at the stadium on Sunday night. Bielsa said the delayed flight “caused no problem."

Added Gimenez, through an interpreter: “We had some complications. It was a difficulty but we actually took advantage of it because we were able rest at the hotel.”

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Uruguay's coach Marcelo Bielsa gestures during a press conference ahead of the 2026 World Cup, in Montevideo, Uruguay, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Matilde Campodonico)