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NEWS

Pressure Mounts on Turkey Head Coach Vincenzo Montella

Following the defeat against Italy, critical voices are mounting. Montella, however, is not considering resignation.

Pressure Mounts on Turkey Head Coach Vincenzo Montella Photo: © IMAGO / Anadolu Agency
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The Turkish national team suffered their second defeat of the current Nations League season on Monday with a 1-4 loss to Italy.

The "Squadra Azzurra" were already leading 3-0 in Bursa after just 27 minutes. Turkish fans in Bursa reacted with boos for their team.

Last Friday, Arda Güler & Co. had already been defeated by France (0-1).

Consequently, Turkey currently sits last in their group with zero points and a goal difference of minus four, which is putting increasing pressure on head coach Vincenzo Montella.

"He Simply Isn't Making the Right Decisions"

In the Turkish daily newspaper "Hürriyet", columnists Ugur Meleke and Güntekin Onay minced no words: "The lineup and on-pitch organisation were so poor that even the struggling Italians were surprised," they wrote about Monday's match.

They added: "Vincenzo Montella has been here for a long time. He now knows every player, and although he has a large squad of national team players at his disposal, he simply isn't making the right decisions."

The current situation is anything but good. "Especially after the big disappointment at the World Cup." Turkey was eliminated in the group stage at the World Cup.

Although the country qualified for a World Cup this year for the first time in 24 years, the "Hürriyet" columnists dismiss this argument. Their retort: After all, 48 teams are now participating in the major event.

Montella Not Considering Resignation

Head coach Montella had already responded to critical voices at the press conference after the defeat.

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Vincenzo Montella nach dem Spiel bei der Pressekonferenz.
Foto: ©IMAGO / Anadolu Agency

"This team (Turkey, ed.) was playing in League C three years ago. Together with me, we won League B, and today we are playing in League A. Of course, the levels of play are different. As I said before the match, it's not easy to play at this level every three days," said the Italian.

He is currently not considering resignation. "I believe in my work," Montella said. "I didn't leave even when significant opportunities arose. Our faith in the work we've done here and in our players will remain until the very end. You can blame me, but I will continue to stand by our players."

Arda Güler Remains Highly Regarded

The "Hürriyet" columnists particularly stand behind Real star Arda Güler. "He gives his all for the national team, and everyone, whether impartial or not, respects him," it states.

"We need a fresh start with a different coach and Captain Arda, who will approach every game with the goal of winning and reflecting the quality of our squad on the pitch," journalists Meleke and Onay call for a reboot.

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You can find the original LAOLA1 article here.