Montella ‘did not expect’ backlash from Turkey after 4-1 loss

Vincenzo Montella expressed surprise at the angry reaction from Türkiye fans following the 4-1 defeat to Italy during the UEFA Nations League group phase match on September 28, 2026. The head coach remarked that he ‘didn’t expect’ such a response considering the efforts the team had made over the past three years.

The match took place at the Atatürk Spor Kompleksi Matli Stadyumu in Bursa, Turkey, where Montella's team faced intense criticism after a disappointing group stage exit from the 2026 World Cup and a prior 1-0 Nations League loss to France. In the match against Italy, Türkiye fell behind 3-0 within the first half due to goals by Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Frattesi, and Michael Kayode. Although Baris Alper Yilmaz managed to score shortly after the break and had another goal disallowed due to offside, Francesco Pio Esposito concluded the match with Italy's fourth goal.

Montella reflected on the match, stating, "The first half-hour was certainly one to forget." He noted that playing consistently at such a high level requires a level of focus and experience that his team currently lacked. He pointed out the team's journey from Nations League C two years prior to winning Nations League B, emphasizing the need for continued improvement. Montella commented, "It requires a mental as well as physical reset every few days, and that isn’t an easy thing to learn quickly."

When asked about the errors made in the first half, Montella mentioned that Italy appeared better prepared mentally from the start. He described his team as uncoordinated, which led them to lose both focus and confidence.

The atmosphere turned tense during the match, with fans in Bursa calling for Montella's resignation, along with demands for the Turkish Football Federation leadership to resign as well. Despite this, Montella felt that the players deserved more support, stating, "They jeered the lads too after the first goal, who didn’t deserve it. The atmosphere was marvellous before the game; I really didn’t expect the reaction so quickly after all these lads have done in the last three years."