Sacked? No chance! Montella reveals why Turkish bosses backed him despite American World Cup flop

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Turkey head coach Vincenzo Montella admitted that the Turkish Football Federation held justifiable grounds to replace him following a disappointing 2026 World Cup campaign in North America. Speaking ahead of Turkey's Nations League League A debut, the 52-year-old manager reflected on the team's early exit despite high pre-tournament expectations.

However, Montella highlighted that federation leaders chose to evaluate his broader achievements rather than focusing solely on two poor results.

Under his guidance, Turkey reached the Euro 2024 quarter-finals and earned historic promotion to League A.

Analyzing what went wrong across the Atlantic, Montella insisted that while performances were competitive, a severe lack of clinical finishing proved costly in crucial moments. He noted that failing to convert chances during their opening fixtures created mounting pressure that ultimately doomed their tournament progression.

The Italian manager refused to hide behind excuses while thanking TFF for maintaining confidence in his long-term project.

"I could have been sacked, but the federation looked beyond: to the future," Montella explained. "When I arrived, we couldn't qualify for the Euros, and we won the group. They didn't judge me on those two matches, but on all my work."

Emphasizing the country's broader sporting investments, Montella praised Turkey's long-term vision as an emerging economic and footballing power. He pointed to major infrastructure growth and club investments as evidence of a modern football culture capable of competing with Europe's elite.

Despite entering Group A1 as fourth seeds alongside France, Italy, and Belgium, Montella set a firm target of reaching the Nations League quarter-finals.

He reiterated his personal desire to remain in charge through to Euro 2032.

Turkey proceed into their opening Nations League window determined to test themselves against Europe's top-ranked nations. Montella believes competing regularly in the top tier will accelerate the squad's tactical maturity following their summer learning curve.

The Crescent-Stars launch their group fixtures intent on proving their elite credentials.

Turkey aim to secure a top-two finish to advance to the knockout stages.