Before Saturday’s game against Kayserispor, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was interviewed by English The Athletic. The former Manchester United manager described the atmosphere at his home stadium with a capacity of 43,000 as completely unique. In fact, something Solskjaer himself has only experienced once as a coach in one of the world’s biggest derbies.
-I have had two home games so far. Both sold out. Both with incredible noise levels,” Solskjaer told the English media. Before comparing the atmosphere to that at Old Trafford when he led United to a 2-0 win against Manchester City in 2020.
The Besiktas players were out of confidence before Solskjaer entered the scene. The players now knew they had with them a former player and coach who had handled the greatest pressure in boiling stadiums. This paid off already in the first leg, three days after Solskjaer’s arrival.
The Turkish newspaper Sabah had got hold of Solskjaer’s pep talk in the dressing room before the Europa League match against La Liga’s 3rd best club.
“I was just out on the pitch and it was a fantastic atmosphere. I have played and trained in many parts of the world, and this atmosphere is very special. We will make sure that it is even better today. It’s all about the head. You have to gather your thoughts and focus,” Solskjaer is reported to have said.
It resulted in an impressive 4-1 win for Besiktas and the start of a new Besiktas team.
On Sunday, it was Kayserispor’s turn to face Solskjaer’s Besiktas in the Süper Lig. They faced the same insane punch from the stands and a Solskjaer football that secured Besiktas a 2-0 victory. We love it!
