Four years after their last managerial clash, marked by mutual jabs, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are set to face each other once more tomorrow.
These two figures, well-known from their time in the Premier League, are now managing clubs in Istanbul.
Both the charismatic `Special One` and the calmer Norwegian are expected to relish the intense atmosphere and drama. Mourinho`s Fenerbahce urgently need a win against Solskjaer`s Besiktas to keep their fading title hopes alive.
One can`t help but wonder if both former Manchester United managers would welcome another opportunity in English football.
Naturally, Mourinho`s impressive record of three Premier League titles during his two spells at Chelsea significantly surpasses Solskjaer`s tenures at Cardiff and United.
During his time at Old Trafford, the Portuguese manager won both the Carabao Cup and the Europa League. Solskjaer`s closest major success there was the Europa League final in May 2021, which ended in a narrow penalty shootout defeat to Villarreal.
This European final near-miss came less than two months after the two managers had a public disagreement following United`s 3-1 victory at Mourinho`s Tottenham. This match occurred just a week before Daniel Levy, Spurs chairman, sacked Mourinho.
Their exchange was rather childish. Solskjaer accused Tottenham`s Son Heung-min of “conning” the referee, which led to a VAR review and the disallowing of a United goal.
At the time, Solskjaer remarked: “If my son stays down like that and gets ten of his mates around him, he won’t get any food.”
Mourinho responded by saying Solskjaer`s comments made him “very sad” and added: “Sonny is very lucky that his father is a better person than Ole.
“As a father, you have to always feed your kids. If you have to steal to feed your kids, you steal.
“I am very, very disappointed. Like we say in Portugal, bread is bread and cheese is cheese. I told Ole already what I think about his comments.”
Now, four years later, they face each other again. Solskjaer was appointed manager of Besiktas (the Black Eagles) in January.
Since taking over from Giovanni van Bronckhorst, the 52-year-old Solskjaer has improved Besiktas` position in the Turkish Super Lig, moving them from seventh to fourth. They now have a potential chance for a Europa League play-off spot if they can overtake Samsunspor, currently in third.
However, for Mourinho, the match is a must-win. His Fenerbahce side is currently five points behind their fierce rivals Galatasaray with five games remaining.
Despite their past animosity, both managers seem to have adopted a more conciliatory tone ahead of this specific match.
When asked about the personal rivalry, the Norwegian, famous for scoring the winning goal in Manchester United`s 1999 Champions League final to secure the Treble, played down the angle.
The Besiktas boss stated: “This is not a match between Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“This is a match between Besiktas and Fenerbahce. The players will decide the score. I have great respect for Mourinho.
“There are not many managers as successful as him, so I’m looking forward to a derby like this.”
Considering their significant histories in English football, it seems somewhat surprising that both have ended up in Turkey – though this may not be their final stop.
Identifying a potential Premier League club suitable for Solskjaer might be difficult, although his previous work, like at Cardiff, suggests he could be a candidate for an ambitious Championship team.
However, Joe Cole, a former Chelsea and England star who experienced both the challenging and positive sides of Mourinho`s management, believes the 62-year-old `Special One` still has another spell in the Premier League left in him.
Cole commented: “Jose is still a genius as a manager. He still has potential.
“I’d love to see him back in the Premier League. He breaks box-office records. If you want to win something, Mourinho is the guy you go to.”
Mourinho departed Spurs with a point to prove and did so by winning the UEFA Conference League with Roma in 2022.
Similar to Solskjaer, he might feel he has `unfinished business` in England and would likely welcome one final opportunity there.
This weekend, however, the focus is entirely on the vibrant and intense atmosphere of Istanbul.
A draw would benefit Solskjaer`s side, who may play without a traditional striker, while Mourinho`s team is under pressure to win.
The only certainty is that the match is guaranteed to be fiery both on and off the pitch.
And likely, neither manager would have it any other way.
