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Messi Named Time's 'Athlete of The Year'

Argentina's forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team's first goal - his 100th with the national team - during the friendly football match between Argentina and Curacao at the Madre de Ciudades stadium in Santiago del Estero, in northern Argentina, on March 28, 2023. (AFP)
Argentina's forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team's first goal - his 100th with the national team - during the friendly football match between Argentina and Curacao at the Madre de Ciudades stadium in Santiago del Estero, in northern Argentina, on March 28, 2023. (AFP)
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Messi Named Time's 'Athlete of The Year'

Argentina's forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team's first goal - his 100th with the national team - during the friendly football match between Argentina and Curacao at the Madre de Ciudades stadium in Santiago del Estero, in northern Argentina, on March 28, 2023. (AFP)
Argentina's forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team's first goal - his 100th with the national team - during the friendly football match between Argentina and Curacao at the Madre de Ciudades stadium in Santiago del Estero, in northern Argentina, on March 28, 2023. (AFP)

Lionel Messi has been named Time magazine's "Athlete of the Year" for 2023 after a trailblazing season marked by an eighth Ballon d'Or award and his ground-breaking move to Major League Soccer's Inter Miami.

Time said the Argentine superstar had already had a transformative impact on the American sporting landscape, which has been historically slow to embrace football.

"Lionel Messi this year managed to do what once seemed impossible, when he signed with Inter Miami: turning the US into a soccer country," Time commented, AFP reported.

The 36-year-old Messi made his debut for Miami in July following an acrimonious departure from Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi was quoted by Time as saying that his first preference after PSG had been a fairytale return to Barcelona, but that move stalled over the club's finances.

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Solskjaer Returns to Coaching With Turkish Side Besiktas

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's last club coaching job was over three years ago at Manchester United - AFP
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's last club coaching job was over three years ago at Manchester United - AFP
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Solskjaer Returns to Coaching With Turkish Side Besiktas

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's last club coaching job was over three years ago at Manchester United - AFP
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's last club coaching job was over three years ago at Manchester United - AFP

Former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has been out of a club coaching job for more than three years, has been appointed coach of Besiktas, the Turkish side announced on Saturday.

The 51-year-old Norwegian, who was axed by United in November 2021, takes over from Dutch coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst who was sacked by Besiktas at the end of November, AFP reported.

"A contract has been signed with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer... until the end of the 2025-2026 season, with the 2026-2027 season as an option," said the Istanbul-based side in a press release.

Solskjaer made over 200 appearances as a striker for United and was a member of their treble-winning side in 1998-99, scoring the winner against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

After his playing career he went into coaching, spending a long period with Norwegian side Molde before rejoining United in 2018.

He became a technical observer for UEFA after losing his job at Old Trafford.

Besiktas are currently sixth in the Turkish Super Lig, 21 points behind leaders Galatasaray and 12 behind second-placed Fenerbahce, coached by Jose Mourinho, whom Solskjaer succeeded in Manchester.