Giovanni van Bronckhorst will not be the new coach of Besiktas. The coach was a long-time top candidate to take over at the Turkish top club, but Besiktas has chosen Fernando Santos.
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The former international, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, had nearly reached an agreement with Besiktas a week ago.
Van Bronckhorst was highly enthusiastic about the prospect of joining the competitive Süper Lig in Turkey. However, he had one crucial condition: he wanted a trusted individual to serve as his assistant coach. At least two Dutch candidates were considered for the role.
One of these candidates was Jean-Paul van Gastel, who was eager to make the move to Turkey. The coach of NAC Breda even came to a personal agreement with the club and conveyed his intention to leave to the club's management. However, the technical leadership of the mid-tier Keuken Kampioen Divisie club remained unwavering in their stance. This led to a conflict that persisted for several days. Ultimately, on Saturday, it became evident that the negotiations had come to a standstill, and Van Gastel will continue his role at NAC.
Another candidate, Leon Vlemmings, was also approached by Besiktas upon Van Bronckhorst's recommendation. However, the experienced figure in football was not willing to relinquish his position as the innovation manager at FC Dordrecht.
Due to Van Bronckhorst's inability to assemble his coaching staff promptly, it was mutually decided with the Turkish club not to proceed together. As a result, Besiktas has now chosen Fernando Santos as their new coach. The Portuguese coach boasts previous stints with clubs like Benfica, FC Porto, Sporting Portugal, and various top Greek clubs. He has also held the position of head coach for national teams such as Poland, Greece, and Portugal.
Santos achieved considerable success in his career, winning the Portuguese league title with FC Porto and clinching the Portuguese Cup twice. However, the highlight of his career came in 2016 when he led Portugal to victory in the European Championship (Euro). Additionally, in 2019, he guided Portugal to triumph in the UEFA Nations League.
