The Turkish Football Federation has officially announced the dismissal of Vincenzo Montella from his role as head coach of the Turkish national team, following four consecutive losses at the start of his Nations League campaign.
Montella had been in charge of the Turkish national team since September 2023 and had secured qualification for both EURO 2024 and the 2026 World Cup. The European Championship run ended with a 2-1 defeat to Austria in the round of 16, while Turkey was eliminated from the World Cup at the end of the group stage.
The four most recent matches played by Turkey after the World Cup also ended in defeats. Placed in the same Nations League group as Italy, Montella’s team lost twice to the Azzurri during the international breaks between September and October.
Turkey was also beaten away 3-0 by Belgium and lost at home 1-0 to France in the Nations League matches played in recent weeks.
Absences are not enough to save Montella’s job
During the September-October international break, Montella had to do without three of his most important players: captain Hakan Calhanoglu, Juventus talent Kenan Yildiz, and young Real Madrid star Arda Guler.
The absences, however, were not sufficient to avoid dismissal. The Turkish Football Federation confirmed the decision through a statement published on Friday afternoon on its official website.
“It has been decided that Mr. Vincenzo Montella will not continue as the head of our national team,” reads the brief note released by the TFF.