Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spoke out on Sunday after his appointment at Besiktas during a press conference.
The former Manchester United boss returns to football more than three years after his brutal dismissal at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer, 51, has joined the Turkish team on a year-and-a-half deal until the summer of 2026 and will earn €3.6 million during his tenure, according to club chairman Serdal Adali.
During a signing ceremony, the Norwegian made an impassioned statement ahead of his partnership with Besiktas, stating that he will not regret the decision to join them before the day he dies.
“We had great meetings with our president. We met heart to heart. The bonds we will build in this team are very important,” he said.
'We are going to create a new foundation here. This was something I really wanted. Our president touched my heart and the hearts of the coaching staff. I followed the matches and Beşiktaş during my work at UEFA. I am proud to belong to such a club.'
'I know what the fans want. We will work towards this every day. I'm only here to win. We have players who have a habit of winning. Beşiktaş is a team that deserves victories. “I have always strived for this in my playing and coaching career and that is why I came here.”
'I would regret it if I didn't accept this before I die. What I said cannot remain just words, I want to start it as soon as possible.'
Solskjaer then compared Besiktas' project to struggling United, arguing that both clubs need to reverse their slump in form in recent years.
He added: 'It's a similar project to Manchester United. Step by step we have risen. We want to win, but we also want to be realistic.
'I have said 'no' to many offers. Beşiktaş's project is similar to Manchester United's project. We have to stop the bad trend.'
Solskjaer enjoyed legendary status at United after his playing career, winning 91 of his 168 games as manager of the club, earning a runners-up finish in the Premier League and the Europa League final in 2020/21.
Solskjaer, who previously managed Molde in his home country for two spells and Cardiff City, has been linked with several jobs in recent months, with the former striker tipped to take over at both Leicester and West Ham.
He was even spotted at Molineux for Gary O'Neil's final Wolves match against Ipswich in December, although it was later revealed he was there to support his former United assistant Kieran McKenna, the Tractor Boys manager.
Besiktas have been without a manager since the Turkish heavyweights sacked former Rangers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst last month.
With the move finally approved, Solskjaer will face Jose Mourinho in the Turkish Super Lig, which is rated as the tenth best division in Europe.
Mourinho is currently in charge of Besiktas' rivals in Istanbul, Fenerbahce, adding to the intrigue as Solskjaer was the coach who succeeded Mourinho at Old Trafford.
Mourinho's time in Turkey has been as dramatic as ever, with the former Chelsea, Tottenham and United boss regularly railing against refereeing standards, while recently labeling the competition as 'toxic'.
Solskjaer has taken over a side that is having a difficult season, with Besiktas 28th in the Europa League group stages and languishing in sixth place in the league – a far cry from their usual title-fighting form in Super Lig.
Their squad includes former Premier League stars Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joao Mario and Arthur Masuaku.
The move to Turkey also comes after Solskjaer was briefly touted for a shock return to Old Trafford before Ruben Amorim took over in November.
His spell in charge at United, which initially started in an interim role, came after Solskjaer had 11 successful seasons as a player between 1996 and 2007.
He scored 126 goals for the Red Devils and won twelve trophies, including six Premier League titles and the Champions League during the famous 1998-99 Treble season.
After retiring in 2007 due to injury, Solskjaer took charge of United's reserve team before impressing as manager of Molde in his homeland between 2010 and 2014, winning two league titles.
Solskjaer's success landed him the job at Cardiff City, but the 51-year-old endured a difficult nine-month spell in South Wales, where he was unable to prevent the Bluebirds from being relegated from the Premier League.
He returned to Molde in 2015 and spent more than three years in the role before United came calling in December 2018.
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