Wilfred Ndidi has been left in shock after Besiktas abruptly fired manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer just weeks following the Nigerian midfielder’s high-profile move from Leicester City to Istanbul. Despite interest from Everton and Real Betis, Ndidi’s decision to join Besiktas was heavily influenced by Solskjaer’s personal appeals.
On Ndidi’s arrival, Solskjaer praised him, saying, “You can see he is a very professional footballer, a great human being, and he gives us something we haven’t had before. I am very pleased to have a leader like him here.”
However, Ndidi featured only three times under the Norwegian coach amid Besiktas’ disappointing European campaign. After a 1-1 draw away at Lausanne, Besiktas suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat in the Conference League play-offs, with Swiss side Lausanne’s winner scored by Arsenal academy graduate Nathan Butler-Oyedeji—one of five Nigerians on the pitch that night.
Besiktas’ board swiftly ended Solskjaer’s contract, citing the European exit as a key factor despite his previous success in guiding the club to fourth place in the Turkish Süper Lig last season. Chairman Serdal Adalı expressed gratitude for Solskjaer’s “services to date.”
With former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Nuri Şahin among the frontrunners to succeed Solskjaer, Ndidi’s future at the club now faces fresh uncertainty as he adjusts to a coaching shake-up.
