According to the helpful Turkish journalist I was sitting with as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer became the first foreign coach since hugely respected Romanian Mircea Lucescu in 2003 to guide Besiktas to an away win at Fenerbahce, there is no literal translation for ‘Ole’s at the wheel’.
Gemi kaptani – captain of the ship – was the best he could come up with.
It might be a while before it catches on with the Besiktas faithful, or that Solskjaer could understand them even if it did.
But the 2,100 supporters shoehorned into the corner of the Ulker Stadium were making plenty of noise as Solskjaer went with his players to thank them for their backing.
His side’s 1-0 victory means that in his 15 games as Besiktas manager, the Norwegian has beaten both Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.
In the process of this triumph, he was also, almost certainly, ending any remaining hope Jose Mourinho might have of closing his debut season in Turkey as a league champion.
With four games left, Fenerbahce now trail Galatasaray by eight points.
Not that Mourinho let his disappointment show as he cupped his hands round Solskjaer’s head after the final whistle.
Twice, the two men, who between them spent over five years from 2016 to 2021 trying to sort out Manchester United, were virtually cheek to cheek as they reflected on their situation.
“Ole is here for a few months,” said Mourinho afterwards. “He is experienced and intelligent enough to learn what he has to learn.
“I am nobody to give him advice. We spoke in the tunnel before the game. It was normal things two guys who respect each other but have to play a match say to each other. After it was the same.
“We are experienced enough for him not to be on the moon because he won, just as I am not in hell because I lost a derby. We respect each other well. I think we like each other too. I would say that.”
The respective ways in which they dealt with their situations in post-match media conferences, which take much longer than they are used to due to the need for translations out of English, was instructive in itself.
One of the last things Mourinho had done before the game began was to exchange a hug with Gedson Fernandes.
The 62-year-old was Spurs manager for the entirety of Fernandes’ 12-month loan spell at the club from Benfica.
Fernandes played 14 times but never scored. Mourinho probably did not expect the Portugal international to be the main offensive threat to his side.
But, in a fundamental tactical reshuffle, few credit the Norwegian with the capacity to impose, veteran forward Ciro Immobile was left on the bench, meaning Fernandes was the support for makeshift striker Rafael Silva.
So, when Mert Muldur played his fatal inside pass to no-one across the edge of his own box, it was Fernandes who stroked it home.
That made amends for his penalty miss eight minutes earlier.
In between came the kind of chaos for which Mourinho is so celebrated, but on this occasion, he remained as a – sort of – detached observer.
The stadium was simmering anyway when the home side broke from Irfan Can’s penalty save. As Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri bore down on the visitor’s goal, Besiktas keeper Mert Gunok came sliding out. Gunok just got to the ball first but sent En-Nesyri flying with the additional contact.
Cue pandemonium.
As play continued downfield, the Fenerbahce bench harangued the fourth official and the nearside assistant referee in front of them. On the pitch, former Leicester defender Caglar Soyuncu voiced his displeasure directly in front of the referee and was booked. Another yellow card was waved at the home bench as Mourinho watched on.
Around the media area, there were pockets of unrest. Half a dozen wearing corporate lanyards were escorted out.
Fernandes’ goal triggered widespread chanting, demanding the removal not only of the club’s president but also his number two, Hull City owner Acun Ilicali.
Fenerbache dominated the second half but failed to make their possession count. They have now played their two great city rivals on a total of five occasions this season, have lost four and earned a single point.
They are now eight points behind Galatasaray with four games left, and Mourinho knows the title is heading elsewhere.
“I don’t speak about them,” he said when asked to offer his thoughts on Gala’s impending success.
“I speak about the Championship. I did it during the season, and I don’t change a single word.
“One of the problems Fenerbahce has is the difficulty in coping mentally with the power of the system. It is stronger than the quality, than the wheel. It is something really powerful. The players feel it and know it is completely impossible to reach what they want to reach.”
Earlier this month, Mourinho claimed Turkish football was dominated by Galatasaray and it “didn’t smell like a nice perfume”.
In contrast, Solskjaer dismissed the victory, pointing out that in the games immediately after a similarly notable triumph against Galatasaray last month, his team had been “hopeless”.
They are now in a strong position to finish third and secure a place in next season’s Europa League.
The Norwegian is taking nothing for granted.
“The next four games will decide a lot,” he said. “Can they play the next four games like this one?
“After Gala, we were hopeless. We must have a different reaction after this.”
Fenerbahce will be in the Champions League next season. Whether Mourinho will still be with them is another matter.
Evidently, he is unhappy with how Turkish football is run. And with the Fenerbahce fans unhappy at how the people who employed him are running their club, a parting of ways cannot be ruled out this summer.
“I am not speaking about next season,” he said. “I will speak internally, not to the media.
“If there is something, out of respect to the president and the board, I will not bring it into the public.”
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