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Turkish Football Federation (TFF) President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu voiced strong support for head coach Vincenzo Montella and Türkiye's national team after two group-stage defeats left the side without points and confirmed its World Cup elimination.
Speaking to reporters before a training session at the Arizona Athletic Grounds, Haciosmanoglu said the results against Australia and Paraguay have deeply disappointed both the federation and millions of supporters of the team. He stressed, however, that the same players and coaching staff had carried Türkiye to major milestones over the past two years.
He thanked Turkish fans who traveled from around the world to support the team, saying the federation had hoped to make the country proud with a successful campaign. However, he said the team should not be judged only through its latest results, pointing to its recent progress under Montella.
Haciosmanoglu said Türkiye's current generation had helped the country reach the European Championship quarterfinals, move up to UEFA Nations League A, and qualify for the World Cup after a 24-year wait.
He underlined that many players in the squad are around 20 years old and could go on to play in several major tournaments, adding that they needed support rather than destructive criticism.
"We will stand by our children," Haciosmanoglu said. "Just as they gave this nation success step by step in two years, they will hopefully give this nation those successes again."
The TFF president also said Montella would remain part of the federation's plans, arguing that national teams cannot be reshaped in the same way as club sides.
"We will stand by this team's coach, and we will stand by its players," he said. "We never replace those we walk with on the road with those we find along the way."
Haciosmanoglu said he respected constructive criticism of the team, the coaching staff and the federation, but he strongly objected to comments that crossed into insults.
He said technical assessments of Montella's decisions were legitimate, yet personal attacks on players and staff were unacceptable. He added that everyone involved with the team, from equipment staff to players and executives, felt the weight of the failed campaign.
The TFF president also called on Justice Minister Akin Gurlek to look into ways to address abusive language around football, saying public debate should not move beyond moral limits.
Haciosmanoglu said the federation did not intend to shift responsibility away from itself, while also insisting that the team had not lacked effort.
He noted that Türkiye created chances in both games but failed to turn them into goals, referring to the team's 65 shots across two matches. He said the side could have been more cautious, but argued that one different moment, including a late chance by Merih Demiral, could have changed the tone of the debate.
Despite the disappointment, Haciosmanoglu said the same squad and staff would be expected to make up for the setback in the future.
"These children will make everyone embarrassed," he said, referring to those who had targeted the team with harsh personal attacks.
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