Istanbul (AFP) – Galatasaray on Tuesday named former Manchester City assistant coach Domenec Torrent as manager, tasked with saving a season that has seen the Istanbul side slip out of title contention.

The 23-time Turkish champions have had a dire run, losing three of their last five matches and slipping into the bottom half of the table.

They parted ways with veteran coach Fatih Terim on Monday, two days after they were booed and whistled while losing 1-0 at home to minnows Giresunspor.

Terim had gained hero status by leading Galatasaray to a UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup double in 2000, making them the first Turkish side to lift European trophies.

But his Spanish successor Torrent, 59, has enjoyed a pedigreed career of his own working at some of the world’s biggest clubs.

He served as assistant coach at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City between 2008 and 2018.

His first managing assignment came in the United States, where he guided New York City FC to first place in the Eastern Conference in 2019.

Torrent then moved to Brazil, briefly managing Brazilian giants Flamengo in 2020.

“We first met with Domenec Torrent to be Fatih Terim’s assistant. Then we decided that he should become a coach,” Galatasaray president Burka Elmas told reporters.

“There will also be a Turkish assistant in Torrent’s team,” added Elmas, trying to head off social media criticism that one of Turkey’s most storied clubs was looking for foreign assistance.

Terim, 68, was a former Galatasaray defender who rejoined the club as manager for a third time in 2017, leading them to two more championship titles.

Galatasaray finished an agonising second last season, level on points with eternal Istanbul rivals Besiktas, but losing the title on goal difference.