Van Bronckhorst appointed as Besiktas new coach

"Hello Black Eagles, I am Giovanni Van Bronckhorst and I am coming to Besiktas," the 49-year-old said in a video posted by Besiktas on X, the former Twitter. Van Bronckhorst has signed for "2+1 years", added the Istanbul club which finished fifth in the Turkish Super Lig last season.

The Dutchman last coached Scottish club Rangers but was sacked in 2022 after just a year in charge at Ibrox. The former Netherlands captain played with Rangers from 1998 to 2001, winning five trophies, including two league titles.

The midfielder then moved to Arsenal where he won the Premier League in 2002, followed by Barcelona where he won the Champions League in 2006 and two Liga titles. He also won 106 caps with the Netherlands, playing with the team that lost in the final of the 2010 World Cup.

He cut his teeth as a coach at his hometown club Feyenoord Rotterdam, his first and final club as a player, which he led to a first league title in 18 years in 2017.

After a stint in China with Guangzhou, Van Bronckhorst took over at Rangers in 2021 leading them to the Europa League final before losing out to Eintracht Frankfurst on penalties in Seville. Van Bronckhorst's arrival in the Turkish Super Lig follows that of Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho who will manage Istanbul rivals Fenerbahce next season.

 

June 5, 2024