Turkish supporters demand the resignation of Vincenzo Montella
After the heavy 1‑4 defeat of Turkey against Italy in Bursa, supporters stormed the stands demanding the resignation of head coach Vincenzo Montella as well as the federation president, who left the stadium before the final whistle, casting doubt on Montella’s presence on Friday in Sclessin.
A crushing defeat
The match ended 1‑4, with three goals conceded in just 27 minutes, which plunged Turkey into a desperate situation already in the first half.
The Turkish saw their hopes fade quickly, Italian dominance evident from the first quarter‑hour.
Supporters' reaction
In the stands of Bursa, frustration quickly turned into anger; supporters whistled at the players, the coach and the president, repeatedly chanting “Montella istifa”.
According to Turkish media, federation president İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu left the stadium before the final whistle, reflecting the tense atmosphere.
Montella's future
After the final whistle, the players apologised. Merih Demiral said: “We must apologise to the supporters. We are ashamed of our performance.”
Vincenzo Montella felt that his team “deserved” the whistles and the boos, adding that the performance before the break was not at the opponent’s level and that the first half needed to be analysed to draw lessons.
When asked about a possible resignation, Montella replied that he had no intention of leaving his post, stating he believes in the work done, will stay despite other offers and retains confidence in the young players.
An emergency meeting was held Monday evening within the Turkish federation, leaving the question of Montella’s presence in the technical area on Friday evening in Sclessin hanging, where Turkey will face the Red Devils.
Montella recalled that three years ago the team was playing in Lega C, then they won Lega B and today they are in Lega A, highlighting a clear progression in level.
He also mentioned the financial valuations of the teams: Italy at €840 million and Turkey at €417 million, noting that the newspapers suggested an easy match, which was not the case.
Finally, the coach criticised the first‑half approach, stating that the group is not used to playing a match every three days, that they earned the boos and that, despite a better start after the 3‑1, a goal was disallowed, prompting him to stay calm while analysing the situation.