Beşiktaş will visit José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe in the 34th round of the Turkish Super League. This marks Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s first Istanbul derby clash with Mourinho.
Ahead of the match, Beşiktaş head coach Solskjær gave an interview and reflected on his past with Manchester United.
Seeing United struggle is heartbreaking
“Manchester United is my family, always will be. In football, you don’t really feel sorry for anyone because we’re privileged—100% privileged—to work at such a club.
But for me, it hurts to watch, because it’s your family struggling. Looking at the table over the weekend, it never feels easy.”
Solskjær spent a long time talking about United before returning to the topic of Beşiktaş.
Why he chose Beşiktaş
Smiling, he said, “You haven’t been here long enough. This club is fantastic. I had talks with many clubs, but did nothing in the end. This is the only club where, after speaking with them, I thought, ‘I really wish I were there,’ because the potential is enormous.”
“You feel the identity and culture of the club deeply; the values are honesty and community service. We were the first Turkish club to play abroad. In that sense, it’s very similar to Manchester United. It reminds me of my time there.”
Solskjær and the “look after everyone” values of the Ferguson era
At Manchester United, Solskjær tried to instill the mentality he was very familiar with from Sir Alex Ferguson’s era—taking care of everyone.
In December 2018, after receiving a desperate call from then-executive chairman Ed Woodward, he returned to Carrington and immediately adopted this approach. Woodward hoped Solskjær could bring smiles back to the club, which had become toxic under Mourinho’s tenure.
As new manager, Solskjær handed out chocolate bars to staff—a habit he had kept as a player. Beloved receptionist Kath Phipps was the first to receive one. In January 2025, Solskjær flew to the UK to attend Phipps’ funeral and wake, which many former players also attended.
That day, he and many others pointed out how disconnected United’s current leadership seems from the past.
“Everyone knows you need time to shape a team the way you want,” Solskjær said.
“But you must manage with what you have, not just the way you want to. There were things I wanted my team to do, but we couldn’t. We were in a financially tough period. We spent money, perhaps not wisely.”
He was about to say something about another club he admires, then paused.
“Yes. But you know when you… Actually, I don’t need to say it,” he said.
“Recruitment is probably the most important thing in football. You need the right structure and to bring in the right people. When you’re managing players from two, three, four, or even five different coaches, it’s hard to keep the team balanced and shape it into your ideal team.
Everyone knows success takes consistency and patience—but not many can actually achieve it.”
In the Europa League squad, I only recognize Maguire, Lindelöf, and Bruno Fernandes
The day after the interview, United had just beaten Athletic Bilbao to reach the Europa League final. Solskjær lit up talking about the players he still knows.
“For me, Harry (Maguire) has always been a leader and a fighter. I never doubted he’d be our captain when I signed him.
Bruno Fernandes is also our captain—both are top people. I was really happy for them last night.
Since I left the club, maybe only those two and Victor (Lindelöf) have kept in touch. I hope things go well for them.”
A few minutes later, walking from the Beşiktaş training ground to the main building for lunch, he showed his “care for everyone” values in action.
Two young fans approached him for selfies and autographs. He not only agreed but also stopped 19-year-old Ecuadorian winger Kenny Arroyo—who joined the club in February for £6.4 million—to take a photo with them.
How could United sell McTominay?
Working with Solskjær at Beşiktaş are former United goalkeeper coach Richard Hartis and Tom Green, who left his role as United’s senior performance analyst in February to become head of analysis at the Turkish club.
Mourinho’s squad includes ex-United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat and Fred—one half of the “McFred” midfield pairing alongside Scott McTominay.
The subject left Solskjær despairing over United’s recruitment and sale decisions, including allowing McTominay to leave for Napoli.
“Scott and Fred—those two are lads you’d give 100% for every day. I can’t understand why they sold McTominay,” Solskjær said.
On the importance of recruitment and team building
“Everyone knows you need time to mold a team. But you have to manage with what you’ve got. Some things I wanted my team to do—we just couldn’t. We were in financial difficulty, and maybe we didn’t spend wisely.”
“Look, recruitment might be the most important thing in football. You need the right structure, the right people. When you’re managing a group of players left behind by multiple managers, it’s hard to build your ideal squad. Everyone talks about continuity and patience, but few actually deliver.”
Looking forward to seeing Mourinho again
Since arriving in Turkey, Solskjær hasn’t yet spoken to Mourinho but is looking forward to seeing him.
They last clashed a week before Mourinho was sacked by Spurs—after a row over a controversial Son Heung-min goal.
“If my son had done that, I wouldn’t feed him,” Solskjær had said. Mourinho’s reply was iconic: “Son is lucky his father is a better man than Ole. As a father, you must feed your kids—even if you have to steal to do it.”
“I remember that,” Solskjær shrugged. “You have to look after your own team. He’s definitely charismatic. I don’t think any of us has changed too much. I look forward to seeing him again. Hopefully the headlines will be all about football—nothing else.”
He expects a fiery atmosphere at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium
“I’ve seen what Galatasaray fans are like. When you win those games at home, nothing beats it,” Solskjær said.
“But when you don’t win at home, there’s nothing worse. Football is all about moments.
Athletic Bilbao had two or three great chances, but Victor (Lindelöf) cleared one off the line, and suddenly everything changed.”
“In football, the line between winning and losing is razor-thin. Sometimes luck matters more than quality. Hopefully, it’ll be a bad night for Mourinho.”