End of the road for Montella! Turkiye set to sack manager following dismal Nations League run

The curtain appears to be falling on Montella’s tenure as the manager of Turkiye, with reports suggesting that the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has decided to relieve the Italian of his duties. A disappointing 3-1 defeat to Italy in Bologna on Monday evening seems to have been the final straw for the authorities, who have overseen a sharp decline in the national team's form over the last few months.

The TFF has moved with significant speed to handle the transition, reportedly reaching an agreement on a severance package for the former Roma striker, with Italian outlet Calciomercato reporting that the governing body has already lined up Shakhtar Donetsk coach Turan as the primary candidate to fill the void.

The statistics behind Montella's impending exit make for grim reading, particularly regarding their recent Nations League campaign. The loss in Bologna was the fourth consecutive defeat for the Crescent-Stars in the competition, a run that included a bruising 4-1 loss to Italy on home soil in Bursa, alongside further setbacks against high-profile European opposition in France and Belgium.

This dismal European form comes on the back of a frustrating summer where the team finished bottom of their World Cup group alongside the USA, Australia, and Paraguay, securing only a single victory throughout the tournament, which came against hosts the United States.

Montella had originally signed a contract extension in June 2025 that was intended to keep him in the dugout until the conclusion of Euro 2028. Because of this relatively fresh commitment, the TFF will pay a compensation fee equivalent to five months' wages, totaling €915,000, to finalize his departure.

He departs his post after three years at the helm, a period defined by extreme highs and lows. During his 40 matches in charge, Montella recorded 21 victories, five draws, and 14 defeats.

Despite the bitter nature of his exit, Montella’s time with Turkiye did provide fans with moments of genuine progress. He famously guided the national team to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, a run that captured the imagination of the public and briefly established the side as one of the most exciting outfits in European football.

Furthermore, he was the man who finally ended a 24-year drought by qualifying the country for only their third-ever World Cup appearance. While the subsequent performance in the tournament proper was a letdown, his achievement in navigating the qualification process ensured him a place in the history books.