Montella threatens to quit as Turkey coach after defeats
Vincenzo Montella, a 52‑year‑old Italian, is on the brink of leaving after roughly three years as the Turkey head coach. The Turkish newspaper Milliyet reports that President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu and the governing board of the Turkish Football Federation have already made the decision, although it has not yet been officially confirmed.
Successes under Montella
Montella took over the role in September 2023, after Stefan Kuntz had been dismissed. Under his leadership, Turkey qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 2002 and reached the quarter‑finals of the 2024 European Championship, where they were narrowly beaten by the Netherlands.
In 40 matches he recorded 21 wins, 14 defeats and 5 draws, with the World Cup qualification and the Euro quarter‑final being among the highlights.
Defeats and criticism
The World Cup, however, ended disappointingly after a 0‑2 loss to Australia and a 0‑1 loss to Paraguay. In the Nations League further setbacks followed: 0‑1 to France, 1‑4 to Italy, 0‑3 to Belgium and a 1‑3 in the second leg against Italy, effectively sealing relegation from League A.
Montella responded to the growing criticism by saying: “Statistically it was an evenly matched game. At this level you must not make mistakes. If you do, the opponent will not forgive them.” He also stressed that playing in League A is a privilege and that work must continue.
Outlook and possible succession
The TFF is to pay Montella a severance package of five monthly salaries of €183,000 each, amounting to roughly one million euros. His contract, which ran until after the 2028 European Championship, would therefore be terminated.
As a possible successor, former international Arda Turan is mentioned, who is currently head coach of Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk and has earned 100 caps for Turkey. Turan is expected to take on the dual role as club and national team coach.
Turkey's next matches are scheduled for mid‑November: a home game against Belgium, followed by an away fixture against France. The decision on Montella highlights how quickly successes on the international stage can be eclipsed by critical results.