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BOLOGNA, ITALY – MAY 23: Vincenzo Italiano head coach of Bologna FC celebrates during the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and FC Internazionale at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on May 23, 2026 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Vincenzo Italiano has been officially unveiled as Besiktas head coach after arriving in Istanbul by private jet, with Turkish fans already dubbing him “the Italian Klopp” as the former Bologna manager begins one of the most intriguing chapters of his career.
The coach has signed a two-year deal worth €6 million per season plus bonuses, double his salary at Bologna and enough to place him third among the highest-paid Italian coaches in the world, behind only Carlo Ancelotti and Simone Inzaghi.
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The reaction on Besiktas’s Instagram page has been overwhelmingly positive, with supporters clearly excited by the appointment.
Italiano faces title gap challenge as Istanbul derby matches await former Bologna boss
The appointment continues a remarkable decade of personal progress for Italiano, who was coaching in the amateur divisions of Italian football just ten years ago with Vigontina San Paolo and Arzignano.
Now he takes charge of one of Turkey’s three biggest clubs, a side that averages 40,000 supporters per game and demands a return to the title race: Besiktas finished 17 points behind the champions last season.
Italiano will also experience the famous Istanbul derbies against Galatasaray and Fenerbahce for the first time, while Europa League qualifying duties await after Besiktas finished fourth.
He is expected to bring much of his Bologna coaching staff with him, including long-serving assistant Daniel Niccolini. One area for development is his English, which the coach himself has acknowledged needs improvement for communication at European level.
The Bologna-Istanbul connection has become a notable thread, Ciro Immobile made the reverse journey a year ago, while Italiano’s successor in Bologna, Domenico Tedesco, also arrived from Turkey.
