Turkey end Vincenzo Montella’s tenure after fourth straight Nations League defeat

Turkey have ended Vincenzo Montella’s three-year spell as national team coach, with Arda Turan now leading the federation’s list of preferred replacements. The Turkish Football Federation announced it would not retain the Italian after four days of internal discussions, according to the report.

The breaking point was Turkey’s fourth consecutive Nations League defeat, against Italy. The loss came after a difficult run that followed the team’s first-round elimination at the 2026 World Cup, which the report says had already strained Montella’s relationship with supporters and federation leaders.

Montella’s tenure had brought significant highs before the downturn. He led Turkey to the quarter-finals at Euro 2024 and helped the team secure its first World Cup qualification in 24 years. The federation’s decision closes a spell that began with that progress and ended amid a damaging sequence of results.

Across 40 matches in charge, Montella recorded 21 wins, five draws and 14 defeats. The latest loss to Italy was the final factor before the federation’s decision, following its internal consultations.

Former Atlético Madrid and Barcelona player Arda Turan is at the top of the federation’s preferred-candidate list, the report says. No appointment has been announced, so Turkey’s next step is to decide whether Turan will take over or the federation will pursue another option.

The change leaves Turkey looking for a new coach after a period that combined a major tournament run and a long-awaited return to World Cup qualification with a sharp decline in results. The federation’s choice will now shape the next phase for a team whose recent progress was followed by a disappointing World Cup and four straight Nations League defeats.