In a surprise announcement, Manchester United named Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their interim manager on Wednesday, replacing Jose Mourinho after the Portuguese coach was sacked earlier in the day. The Norwegian has already played the part of United’s caretaker manager in two victories, against Leicester City in the League Cup and Crystal Palace in the Premier League, but his appointment to the job will run at least a month longer as he will continue to lead the team for games against Real Madrid, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stage, the Europa League group stage and the English Premier League games.
Mourinho’s sacking is believed to have come as a complete surprise to players, and to many on the outside, as United had won both domestic and European trophies last season and had a solid start to this campaign. But a dismal run of results that has seen the team lose two of their last three matches against Huddersfield and Brighton saw the club’s board seek a change.
Solskjaer, known as “the godfather of Norwegian football,” told reporters after being unveiled that he was “very honoured and very proud” to have the job, adding: “The most important thing now is to move forward and put the smiles back on the faces of all the fans.”
Read the full story at Sports Illustrated.
Related
Former Chelsea manager Claude Puel sacked after Southampton’s loss to Everton
Zinedine Zidane rewarded with three-year deal at Real Madrid
Harry Kane helps England to European Under-21 Championship triumph