Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Lands New Role Two Months After Besiktas Exit

Former Manchester United head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already landed a new job despite being sacked by Besiktas just over two months ago.

Solskjaer, 52, was relieved of his duties at the Istanbul club in August despite guiding them to a fourth-placed finish in the 2024/25 campaign.

However, after falling to a defeat against Lausanne in the Conference League play-offs, his time in Turkey was up, and the former Norway international was sacked.

This was the 52-year-old’s fifth managerial role since 2011, with Solskjaer beginning his coaching career in his native Norway with Molde before arriving at then-Premier League side Cardiff in 2014.

A year later, he returned to Molde before undertaking the Man United job in 2018.

Despite a good start to life at United, during which he won 14 of his first 19 matches in charge - guiding United to a third-place finish in 2019/20 - Solskjaer was sacked following a 4-1 defeat to Watford in November 2021.

He then spent over three years out of the game before undertaking the Besiktas role in January 2025.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked by Besiktas in August (Credit:Getty)

Now, just two months after being sacked by the club from the Turkish capital, he is doing a different job.

The former forward, who netted 91 times in 235 Premier League appearances for United, recently landed the role of UEFA Technical Observer.

The role involves analysing proceedings from a coach’s perspective across various games under UEFA control. The observers also have the task of selecting the Player of the Match for each Champions League fixture.

They make their judgment using several metrics, including “which players have made an outstanding contribution in some or all of the following ways: by playing with exceptional skill in attack or defence; playing a part in decisive actions in attack or defence; displaying tactical maturity and efficiency; and playing with a positive and respectful attitude”, as per UEFA’s website.

Ahead of the 2025/26 Champions League campaign, Rafa Benítez, Roberto Martínez, Gaizka Mendieta, Sir Gareth Southgate, Frank de Boer, Avram Grant, and Aitor Karanka were all named as technical observers.

However, Benitez has since landed the Panathinaikos job.

In a recent appearance on The Overlap, Solskjaer explained how he is currently living in Manchester, which allows him to attend games in England as part of the role.

The 52-year-old also revealed that his agent has been contacted by a number of clubs and that he is open to managing another club from the middle of the Championship to the Premier League.