Despite Turkey’s early World Cup exit, the Italian coach insists he still has the federation’s backing and defends both his work and his young squad.
Vincenzo Montella has no intention of walking away from the Turkish national team.
Following Turkey’s disappointing elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losses to Australia and Paraguay in their opening two matches, the Italian coach used his pre-match press conference ahead of the final group-stage game against the United States to send a clear message to his critics.
“I’m a professional and I’ve put my heart into this job for years,” Montella said. “If you’re asking whether I’m going to resign, the answer is no.”
Montella acknowledged that a section of Turkish media and supporters would like to see him step down, but insisted that will not happen.
“I know there are people hoping for my resignation, but they must accept that it won’t happen,” he said. “I still have energy, I still have enthusiasm. These experiences make me stronger. I will continue as long as the federation president and my players want me here.”
The former Italy international pointed to what he considers important achievements during his tenure.
“We qualified for both the European Championship and the World Cup,” Montella explained. “At the beginning it wasn’t easy. We invested in young players, helped them show their quality and earned promotion to Nations League A. The next challenge is maintaining this level, and that won’t be easy.”
Montella also came to the defense of his players, rejecting what he described as personal attacks directed toward the squad.
“These players are the future of Turkish football and I do not accept personal criticism aimed at them,” he said. “We are like a family. I feel like an older brother to these boys, and some of them suffered deeply after the defeats.”
To support his argument that Turkey’s performances were better than the results suggest, Montella highlighted several statistical categories in which his team ranks among the tournament leaders.
“We’ve taken 62 shots, completed 590 actions inside the penalty area, and we are second in the tournament for average possession and vertical passes behind Spain,” he said. “We’re third for chances created and corners won. In football, though, you need goals. We came close but couldn’t score. If we had found the net, people would be talking about something completely different today.”
Montella believes those numbers demonstrate that the project should not be judged solely by the final standings.
“You can’t throw away all the work we’ve done,” he added. “I’m fortunate because the federation president still believes in this project and in developing these players.”
Turkey captain Kenan Yıldız also addressed the media, admitting the disappointment inside the camp.
“We’re sad, but we want to finish the tournament with our heads held high,” the Juventus youngster said. “Statistics don’t win matches, goals do. We hope to score against the United States and we’ll give everything to honor the jersey.”
Meanwhile, FIFA rejected an appeal filed by the Turkish Football Federation requesting a replay of the Paraguay match. Turkey argued that midfielder Matías Galarza should have received a second yellow card after picking up and wearing the referee’s watch during the game. FIFA ruled that the incident was not serious enough to affect the overall management or outcome of the match.
With elimination already confirmed, Turkey’s final match against the United States will now serve as an opportunity for Montella and his players to salvage pride and show that their World Cup campaign was not as disappointing as the standings suggest.
