Besiktas, traditionally Turkey's third most successful club, announced on Monday the dismissal of coach Sergen Yalçin, who had been in charge for less than nine months. In a statement on social media titled “Thank You, Sergen Yalçin,” the club said the termination was by “mutual agreement” and wished the coach success.
Yalçin took over Besiktas in August last year, replacing Norwegian Gunnar Solskjaer. In the current season, the team finished fourth in the Super League, a result considered unsatisfactory by the board. The performance was worsened by a draw in the final round against Rizespor and a gap of 9 points to third-placed Trabzonspor and 17 points to champions Galatasaray.
This is the fifth coaching dismissal at Besiktas in the last five years, a period marked by frustration for fans accustomed to seeing the team among the top three in the country. In 2021, Yalçin had led the club to its most recent Super League title but was fired the following season when Besiktas finished sixth. Since then, under different managers, the club has finished third once, fourth twice, and sixth again.