Press pressure mounts, Montella remains undeterred
The once‑celebrated Italian coach Vincenzo Montella is in the crosshairs of the Turkish press, while he reacted surprisingly calmly after the 0‑3 defeat to Belgium on Friday evening in Liège. The media demand his immediate dismissal, whereas Montella largely ignores the criticism.
The domestic press vehemently calls for the ousting of the formerly celebrated coach. Hürriyet wrote: “Montella should be dismissed immediately. And now everyone finally step back and leave!” while A Spor and Fotomac responded with “Montella has nothing more to give this team” and “Arrivederci Vincenzo Montella!” respectively.
Montella, 52 years old, replied: “I do not want to give too much weight to the current criticism. With these players we have returned to the World Cup after 24 years and have been promoted to League A.” He emphasized that he does not want to over‑rate the criticism and that he values the achievements so far with the players.
Results and Table Position
After three matches against strong opposition the team sits at the bottom of Group 1 with zero points and a goal difference of 1‑8. Previously they lost to France 0‑1 and to Italy 1‑4. Montella described the belonging to the top tier of the UEFA Nations League as “a privilege and not a punishment.”
Statistically the match against Belgium was balanced: Turkey had more shots, more ball contacts in the opponent’s penalty area, more corners and only a slightly lower xG value. For Belgium, Kevin De Bruyne (2) and Romelu Lukaku scored. Against France and Italy the Turkish side showed almost identical performances, yet the results speak against Montella.
Players and Future Prospects
In the Nations League the top players Hakan Calhanoglu and Kenan Yildiz have not yet been used, and in Liège Can Uzun from Eintracht Frankfurt was missing. The Turkish press already mentions possible successors such as Eddie Howe and Thomas Frank. Montella took up the role almost exactly three years ago, started with three wins, including a 3‑2 victory over the DFB selection in Berlin, and led Turkey to the Euro 2024 quarter‑finals.
Out of 39 matches under the Italian, Turkey won 21, lost 13 and suffered an early exit at this year’s World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada, which was judged a major negative surprise. The ongoing media pressure shows that despite statistical parity and earlier successes the coach’s future remains uncertain.