June 05, (THEWILL) – Turkish giants Besiktas have appointed Giovanni van Bronckhorst as their new manager on an initial two-year contract to replace Fernando Santos. The 49-year-old Dutchman takes over after the Turkish side parted ways with four different managers last season, including Santos who was sacked in April.
Van Bronckhorst is a former Netherlands international who began his managerial career at Feyenoord in 2015. He led the Dutch club to the KNVB Cup in his first season and the Eredivisie title in his second campaign. After a stint in China with Guangzhou, he replaced Steven Gerrard as Rangers manager in November 2021.
During his time at Rangers, Van Bronckhorst guided the Scottish giants to the Europa League final and won the Scottish Cup. He also helped secure Champions League qualification for the first time in 12 years before being dismissed after just one year in charge.
Besiktas endured a turbulent 2023/2024 season but did manage to win the Turkish Cup under interim manager Serdar Topraktepe following Santos’ departure. They will be hoping the experienced Van Bronckhorst can bring stability and success.
The former Arsenal and Barcelona star has a track record of winning trophies early in his managerial roles. Besiktas will be expecting him to quickly transform their fortunes.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
