God. Four years. That's how long it's been since Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were hurling verbal grenades at each other in the Premier League. And now? They're about to clash again tomorrow in the heated cauldron of Turkish football.

Two former Manchester United managers, once the toast of English football, now scrapping it out in Istanbul of all places. Life takes some weird turns, doesn't it?

How the hell did we get here?

I remember watching that spicy post-match interview back in 2021 when Mourinho basically questioned Solskjaer's parenting skills. It was jaw-dropping stuff. The kind of drama that made me spill my beer all over my new carpet (still haven't got that stain out, by the way).

Now they're facing off again, but in completely different circumstances. Mourinho's Fenerbahce desperately chasing Galatasaray for the title, while Solskjaer's Besiktas are fighting for a Europa League spot.

Strange how football works.

The parenting spat that nobody saw coming

Let's rewind to that bizarre moment in 2021. United had just beaten Spurs 3-1, and Solskjaer was fuming about Son Heung-min "conning" the ref to get a United goal disallowed.

"If my son stays down like that and gets ten of his mates around him, he won't get any food," Ole said with that steely Norwegian calm that always made his jabs hit harder.

Mourinho's response? Pure Jose theater. "Sonny is very lucky that his father is a better person than Ole," he fired back, adding that weird Portuguese saying about bread and cheese that left everyone scratching their heads.

I texted my mate who's a Spurs fan right after that press conference. His response: "Jose's lost teh plot again. Time to go."

A week later, Levy showed him the door.

Two legends hiding out in Turkey

Let's be honest - neither of these guys expected to end up in Turkey at this stage of their careers.

Solskjaer, the baby-faced assassin who once scored THAT goal in '99, took over at Besiktas in January after the Black Eagles ditched Van Bronckhorst. He's actually done pretty well, hauling them from seventh to fourth.

Mourinho... well, he's still Mourinho, isn't he? Demanding excellence, throwing water bottles, probably making some poor Turkish translator cry during press conferences.

The awkward pre-match peace offering

I watched both their press conferences yesterday. Solskjaer was playing it cool, trying to downplay the personal rivalry:

"This is not a match between Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. This is a match between Besiktas and Fenerbahce."

Yeah, right. And I'm not going to stay up till 2am watching this match with a kebab and too many beers.

Mourinho was surprisingly restrained too. Makes you wonder if their PR teams had a quiet word beforehand. "Please, for the love of God, don't create another international incident."

What comes after Istanbul?

This feels like a weird layover in both their careers, doesn't it? Like finding Robert De Niro and Al Pacino working at rival restaurants in a small town in Idaho.

Joe Cole (who knows Mourinho better than most, having survived both the hugs and hairdryers at Chelsea) thinks the Special One has another Premier League chapter in him. "He breaks box-office records," Cole said. "If you want to win something, Mourinho is the guy you go to."

I spent $120 on a dinner in London last month with a football director who swore Mourinho was "definitely" getting calls from English clubs. Take that with a pinch of salt - this guy also predicted Newcastle would win the league this year.

Solskjaer? Harder to see where he fits. Championship maybe? Or perhaps he's found his level in Turkey. The man seems happy enough, and after the pressure cooker of Old Trafford, who could blame him?

Tomorrow's fireworks

A draw would suit Solskjaer just fine. Mourinho absolutely needs to win to keep those title hopes flickering.

Listen. Whatever happens on the pitch, I'm more interested in the touchline and post-match. Will they shake hands? Will Mourinho say something provocative? Will Ole respond with that passive-aggressive niceness that used to drive Jose crazy?

Poor Turkish translators. They're about to earn their money.

The only thing guaranteed tomorrow is drama. Two proud men, both with points to prove, both desperate not to lose face in front of their new fans.

Istanbul won't know what hit it.

And I'll be watching... like a ghost at a family reunion, fascinated by the dysfunction but grateful I'm not involved.