Senol Gunes to take over Turkey national team

The Turkish coach will leave his current role as Besiktas manager to take over the Turkey national team.

Besiktas manager Senol Gunes will take charge of the Turkish national team, according to reports In Turkey.

The 66-year-old will continue in his current role with Besiktas until the end of the season and leave the club upon the expiration of his contract. Unless he decides to walk away from club prior to that.

The Trabzon native famously led Turkey to their best ever achievement at the World Cup, guiding the team to a third place finish in the 2002 FIFA World Cup hosted by Japan & South Korea.

The club’s current assistant manager, former Real Madrid midfielder Guti Hernandez, will take over the team as interim manager when Gunes leaves.

The Turkish national team is currently coached by Mircea Lucescu, however, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) are reported to have decided to look elsewhere after the Romanian’s failure to deliver.

The 73-year-old’s record since being named the Turkey boss has been dismal to say the least. He has managed four wins, six draws and seven losses.

Lucescu’s contract expires on June 30, 2019, after which Senol Gunes is set to officially take over, according to the reports.

However, when asked by reporters in Turkey regarding the claims, he was tight-lipped on the matter, saying his only focus is the club’s upcoming fixtures.