Turkey sacks Montella, pays for the flop in the Nations League

Turkey changes coach and sacks Vincenzo Montella. After days of discussion within the Istanbul Football Federation, the official announcement has arrived that puts an end to the relationship with the Italian coach, who arrived on the banks of the Bosphorus three years ago. And the name of his successor is already being mentioned, who could be Arda Turan, currently on the bench of Shaktar Donesk.

The fate of the Italian coach already seemed sealed after the four defeats in the Nations League, two of which he suffered against Italy. For some time, in fact, the Italian coach had been in the sights of fans and local media who were calling for his head: the team's latest performances in Istanbul had been deemed "humiliating". "It has been decided to terminate the relationship with our coach of the senior national team", announced the Turkish Federation which gave no indication on who will lead the team in the next Nations League matches at home against Belgium and then away against France. However, everything suggests that the new coach will be Arda Turan who has an important past as a player at Galatasaray, Basaksehir, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.

Appointed in September 2023, Montella enjoyed some moments of glory in Türkiye, leading the team to the highest level of the Nations League. In 2024, Turkey recorded one of the best results in its history by reaching the quarter-finals of the Euro, beaten by the Netherlands after finishing first in its group. In recent months, however, the results have worsened. This summer Turkey, expected as one of the outsiders of the tournament, disappointed expectations at the 2026 USA-Mexico-Canada World Cup, achieving only one victory in three matches and thus taking the last place in the group. In the Nations League, in recent weeks, they then lost all the matches against France, Belgium and Italy. Montella's statistics on the Turkish bench close with 21 wins, 5 draws and 14 defeats.

In addition to the results, Montella pays an unfriendly press. "He made the players' mothers cry", wrote the Ankara newspapers. According to his detractors, the players he had at his disposal are among the best he has ever had. A generation of good footballers who can count, among others, on Hakan Çalhanoglu (Inter), Arda Güler (Real Madrid) and Kenan Yildiz (Juventus). "We are a united team", Montella tried to say after the last defeat against Belgium, but his explanations did not convince the federation.