Official: Montella sacked by Turkiye after winless Nations League start
Quick summary
Vincenzo Montella has been officially sacked as head coach of the Turkey national team following a winless start in the UEFA Nations League.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceThe Turkish football federation has officially announced that Vincenzo Italiano has been dismissed from his position as head coach of the Turkiye national team after losing all four matches at the start of their Nations League campaign.
Official: Turkiye sack Montella after four consecutive Nations League defeats Montella had served as head coach of the Turkiye national team since September 2023, successfully qualifying for both EURO 2024 and the 2026 World Cup. Their EUROs campaign ended in a 2-1 defeat to Austria in the Round of 16 and were eliminated from the World Cup at the end of the group stage.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – JUNE 13: Vincenzo Montella, Head Coach of Turkiye, kicks the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group D match between Australia and Türkiye at BC Place Vancouver on June 13, 2026 in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Turkiye’s four most recent matches since the World Cup have all ended in defeat as well. Montella was in the same Nations League group as Italy and lost twice to the Azzurri during the September-October international break. His side were also beaten 3-0 away against Belgium and 1-0 at home against France in the Nations League fixtures over the last few weeks.
Montella was without perhaps his three most important players for the September-October international break, namely captain Hakan Calhanoglu, Juventus star Kenan Yildiz and Real Madrid talent Arda Guler.
Still, this was not a big enough excuse for Montella to keep hold of his job, as the Turkish federation confirmed his dismissal in a statement released on Friday afternoon.
BURSA, TURKEY – SEPTEMBER 28: Vincenzo Montella, Head Coach of Turkiye, gestures during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Türkiye and Italy at Atatürk Spor Kompleksi Matli Stadyumu on September 28, 2026 in Bursa, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images) “It has been decided that Mr Vincenzo Montella will not continue as our national team,” read a brief statement on the TFF website.
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What happened
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has parted ways with Vincenzo Montella after a disappointing start to the UEFA Nations League campaign. Despite qualifying Turkey for Euro 2024, Montella's side failed to secure a win in their opening Nations League fixtures, prompting the federation to make a change. Montella, a former Italy international striker, had been in charge of the Crescent-Stars since 2023. The TFF is expected to name a successor in the coming days as Turkey look to regroup ahead of their next international window.
Chance analysis
Vincenzo Montella's dismissal from the Turkey bench underlines how quickly international football fortunes can turn. After guiding Turkey to Euro 2024 qualification — a genuine success — the winless Nations League opening exposed the fragile nature of progress in the role. The TFF's decisiveness signals impatience and a desire to reset before the next competitive stretch, potentially with a coach more familiar with Turkish football's structure. The search for a successor will be the next major storyline out of Istanbul.
Turkey face a period of managerial transition that is likely to destabilize their near-term competitive form while a new coach is appointed.