The Turkish Football Federation has parted ways with national-team head coach Vincenzo Montella after Türkiye’s early exit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup and four straight defeats in the UEFA Nations League.
The federation confirmed the decision on Friday following an Executive Board meeting. No successor was named.
Why Montella was dismissed
Montella, 52, took charge in September 2023 and led Türkiye to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals, where they lost 2-1 to the Netherlands. He also guided the side through World Cup qualifying and the play-offs into the expanded 2026 finals — Türkiye’s first World Cup appearance in 24 years.
At the finals, Türkiye lost their first two group games — 2-0 to Australia and 1-0 to Paraguay — before beating co-hosts the United States 3-2, finishing bottom of the group on three points. Anadolu Agency reported that the subsequent Nations League run of four competitive defeats was Türkiye’s first such streak in 38 years.
In Nations League A this autumn, Türkiye lost to France, Italy, Belgium and Italy again, including a 3-1 defeat in Bologna and a 3-0 loss in Belgium. They sit on zero points in Group 1 and are heading for relegation to League B.
What the federation said
According to AFP and Anadolu Agency, the TFF said it had decided not to continue with Montella as senior national-team coach. BBC Turkish reported that the same board meeting also confirmed the federation’s leadership would remain in place until the next ordinary elective general assembly, with replacements named for board members who had already resigned.
Montella previously managed Fiorentina, Sampdoria, AC Milan and Sevilla, and coached Adana Demirspor before his national-team appointment. BBC Turkish put his Türkiye record at 40 matches: 21 wins, five draws and 14 defeats.
What happens next
Türkiye still have Nations League fixtures against Belgium in İzmir on 12 November and away to France on 15 November. Those matches will be under a new coach once the federation makes an appointment. The federation has not announced a timeline for naming a replacement, and no candidate has been confirmed.