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Türkiye national football team coach Vincenzo Montella said the team "lacked a bit of luck" but offered no excuses for its 2026 World Cup exit, saying it needed to be more effective in front of goal, ahead of Türkiye's UEFA Nations League A Group 1 matches against France, Italy and Belgium.
Montella gave the interview to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of Türkiye's upcoming group matches.
"France has a quality and player pool that others cannot approach. Only Spain and maybe Portugal can compete," Montella said.
"They lost their semifinal, but to Spain. Their real disappointments are elsewhere, and with Zinedine Zidane they have found their enthusiasm again. Still, it will not be easy for them either."
Asked about Türkiye's upcoming matches against Italy, Montella said: "I think the matches will be balanced. At least I hope so."
He said Italy has changed significantly under new coach Roberto Mancini, adding the two do not speak often but share mutual respect, having played together at Sampdoria.
He called Mancini "the right person" to lift Italy, citing his experience and knowledge.
Montella called Italy's absence from three straight World Cups "unimaginable," saying some bad luck was involved. He also named Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma as the hardest player to score against.
Reflecting on Türkiye's 2026 World Cup exit, Montella said the results were poor, but performances could have been better.
"We lacked a bit of luck, but I am not looking for excuses. We needed to be more effective in front of goal in the first two matches to get at least one point. We fell short there," he said.
Montella said he was evaluated on his full body of work rather than the World Cup alone, citing Türkiye's group win and strong run at the 2024 European Championship, its World Cup qualification after 24 years, and its first-ever appearance in Nations League A.
He said the football federation "looked to the future" rather than dismissing him. He also noted that Türkiye will be missing Hakan Calhanoglu, Kenan Yildiz and Mert Muldur for its upcoming matches due to injury.
Montella gave extended praise to Kenan Yildiz, comparing him to former Juventus forward Alessandro Del Piero.
"He has the talent and the potential to be a great player. Kenan will become one of the best in the world. He may not be a classic No. 10 today, but at that age you change and transform. You can also play like a 10 by starting on the wing and cutting inside," Montella said.
Montella, who has spent five years in Türkiye between Adana Demirspor and the national team, described the country as Europe's youngest, citing growth and sports investment nationwide alongside long-term planning. "I feel at home here. They respect me, they appreciate me, and I would be happy to continue for a long time," he said.
He also mentioned fellow Italian coach Vincenzo Italiano, now in charge of Turkish club Besiktas, calling him "great" and saying they speak often.
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