Montella refuses resignation, Belgium‑Turkey duel at Sclessin

Vincenzo Montella, coach of Turkey, was “invited” to resign but will keep his job for Friday's showdown in Sclessin against the Red Devils, as Turkey sit bottom of the group after two defeats to France and Italy, with supporters expressing their displeasure following the 1‑4 loss to the Squadra.

Group position and reactions

Before taking on the Red Devils, Turkey are bottom of the group, with two defeats to France and Italy. Local supporters voiced their displeasure after the 1‑4 conceded to the Squadra, whistling at their team and launching hostile chants at the federation president, who had to leave the stadium before the final whistle.

Against France, Turkey had put in a more than decent performance, deploying Mike Maignan more than Belgium managed to do, only having to admit defeat on a goal by Kylian Mbappé. But last night it was a completely different story against Italy: the Turks ran into the wall, trailing 0‑3 at the half‑hour.

Montella under pressure

Coach Vincenzo Montella was even “invited” to resign, escorted to the dressing room under a barrage of calls for his resignation. He nevertheless said: “Me, resign? No, I believe in the work that’s been done. I have stayed with Turkey, despite other offers. I still believe in these players, I support them.”

Montella added: “Our performance before halftime was not up to the opponent’s level. I was angry. We must analyse that first half‑hour and learn the lessons for the future. But we must not lose confidence in ourselves.”

Next Friday in Sclessin will be crucial: in case of defeat against the Red Devils, the coach’s ears would be whistled at even more. The match will be broadcast live on .be from 20:45 on 02/10.