Montella took Türkiye to a Euro 2024 quarter-final, and four straight Nations League defeats have cost him his job
The Turkish Football Federation has ended Vincenzo Montella’s three years in charge after Türkiye lost all four of their Nations League games this autumn, scoring twice and conceding 11.
Oct 10, 2026
Vincenzo Montella’s time as Türkiye coach is over. The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced on Friday, 9 October, that its executive board had decided not to continue with the Italian, four days after a 3-1 defeat to Italy in Bologna completed a Nations League autumn with no points.
The statement on X ran to a single line. It gave no reason and named no successor.
Four games, two goals, no points
The numbers were hard to argue with. Türkiye opened Group 1 of League A with a 1-0 home defeat to France, then lost 4-1 at home to Italy in Bursa. Kevin De Bruyne scored twice in a 3-0 win for Belgium in Liège, and Italy completed the double with a 3-1 win at the Dall’Ara on 5 October. That is two goals scored and 11 conceded.
Montella kept insisting the performances were better than the results. After Liège he pointed out that his side had got into Belgium’s penalty area 40 times to Belgium’s 26 in theirs, and he brushed off talk of resigning, reminding critics that this group of players had taken Türkiye to their first World Cup in 24 years and won promotion to League A. The federation has now given its answer.
The World Cup was the first warning
That World Cup is where the doubts began. Türkiye lost 2-0 to Australia in Vancouver and 1-0 to Paraguay in Santa Clara, and were out with a game still to play. They did beat the co-hosts 3-2 in Los Angeles, Kaan Ayhan scoring in the eighth minute of stoppage time, but the United States still won Group D and Türkiye finished bottom with three points.
It had started so well. Montella took over in September 2023 and led Türkiye to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 in Germany, where they lost 2-1 to the Netherlands. The 52-year-old, a former Italy striker, had coached Fiorentina, AC Milan, Sampdoria and Sevilla before taking the job.
A short runway for the next coach
He leaves behind a squad with real quality in it: Arda Güler of Real Madrid, Kenan Yıldız of Juventus and Inter’s Hakan Çalhanoğlu. That is what made two goals in four games so hard to explain.
Whoever takes over will not have long to settle in. Türkiye host Belgium in Izmir on 12 November and go to France three days later to finish the group. Even two wins might not lift them off the bottom: Belgium, third, already have six points and won the first meeting 3-0.