Montella surprised by Turkish fans' anger after the defeat

Vincenzo Montella, Head Coach of Turkey, said he did not anticipate the furious reaction of Turkish fans during the 4-1 defeat to Italy in the group stage of the UEFA Nations League 2026/27, played on September 28 at the Atatürk Spor Kompleksi Matli Stadium in Bursa, Turkey.

Devastating first half

In the first half the Italian side dominated, scoring three goals in quick succession: Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Frattesi and Michael Kayode found the net, leaving Turkey trailing 3-0. Even before the break, the crowd in Bursa began to chant for the resignation of Montella and the president of the Turkish Football Federation.

At halftime Turkey pulled one back: Baris Alper Yilmaz scored shortly after the restart, but a second goal was disallowed for offside. Francesco Pio Esposito finished the match, bringing the final score to 4-1 in Italy's favour.

Montella, interviewed by Sky Sport Italy, described the first half‑hour as “a page to forget”, adding that playing at this level every three days requires concentration and experience that his squad currently lacks.

Reactions and analysis from Montella

The Italian coach recalled that two years ago Turkey was in Nations League C, then won Nations League B last season, demonstrating the need for a frequent “mental and physical reset”. “The first approach was mentally better prepared by Italy; we were disorganized, ran too much and lost confidence,” he explained.

The Bursa crowd, already before the kickoff, applauded the atmosphere, but immediately after the first goal they began to boo the players, claiming they did not deserve that treatment. Montella admitted he had not anticipated such a swift reaction, despite the progress of the past three years.

The criticism of Montella was already strong after the group‑stage exit in the 2026 World Cup and the home defeat 1‑0 to France in the Nations League. In September, the pressure in Turkey rose, with Turkish fans demanding a change. September 28 was the day of the match, and Italy confirmed the gap.