Vincenzo Montella has been sacked as head coach of the Türkiye national team. The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) executive board made the decision to part ways with the Italian during a meeting on Friday.
The move follows a disastrous start to the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League campaign, where the team suffered four consecutive defeats. Losses to France, Italy (twice) and Belgium sealed Montella's fate, with the final match a 3-1 defeat away to Italy on 5 October.
MONTELLA'S EMOTIONAL FAREWELL
Following his dismissal, Vincenzo Montella posted an emotional farewell message on Instagram. The Italian coach wrote, "Every story has an ending, but some journeys leave a mark that goes well beyond football." Montella added, "You will always have a special place in my heart."
In his message, he thanked TFF President Mehmet Büyükekşi and his team, the players, his coaching staff, and the fans, stating, "It was a great honour for me to be the coach of the Turkey national team."
SUCCESSFUL TENURE ENDS
Montella took charge in 2023 and successfully guided the team through qualification for both Euro 2024 and the 2026 World Cup. However, the recent international break proved costly, with the side missing key players like Hakan Calhanoglu, Kenan Yildiz and Arda Guler due to injuries.
In the same meeting, the TFF board decided to remain in office until its scheduled term ends, despite calls for an extraordinary general assembly. Ibrahim Ozbay and Metin Akyuz were appointed as full board members, while Serdar Yildiz was named Secretary-General.
The team's recent form reads four straight losses: 0 wins, 0 draws, 4 defeats. The results were Italy 3-1 Türkiye, Belgium 3-0 Türkiye, Türkiye 1-4 Italy and Türkiye 0-1 France. The national team's next fixture is the return match against Belgium at home on 12 November 2026.
This story first appeared at sports.yahoo.com
