Vincenzo Montella Sacked by Turkey, Deemed to Have Failed in the 2026 World Cup Qualifying Campaign and the Nations League

Italian head coach Vincenzo Montella has been officially relieved of his duties as Turkey national team manager, after the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced the termination of their working agreement on Friday, 9 October 2026. This decision came as a consequence of Turkey's string of poor results in the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League.

Turkey now faces relegation to League B after suffering four consecutive defeats.

"It has been decided that we will not continue our working relationship with the head coach," TFF stated via their official X account on Friday.

The 1-3 loss against Italy on 6 October marked Turkey's latest negative result, extending the national side's ongoing poor run of form.

Prior to that match, they had also fallen to Italy once again, as well as suffering defeats against France and Belgium. This run marks the first time Turkey have lost four competitive matches in a row in 38 years.

This outcome brings an end to Montella's tenure, which had initially been met with huge optimism.

Upon his appointment in September 2023, the 52-year old coach was seen as bringing new hope for Turkish football.

However, following a number of early key achievements, the team's performance collapsed during 2026 ultimately led the federation to take this firm decision.

Turkey's Four Consecutive UEFA Nations League Defeats

Turkey's situation in UEFA Nations League 2026/27 Group A1 has become increasingly precarious, after failing to secure a single win from their first four matches.

Sitting at the bottom of the standings, Turkey are at risk of losing their League A status, with two remaining fixtures against Belgium and France scheduled for November.

Turkey will host Belgium on 12 November, before travelling to face France three days later.

These two matches were originally set to be Montella's chance to turn the situation around, but this dismissal confirms he will no longer be in charge for the side's fight to avoid relegation.

This failure stings all the more given Turkey possess quality players across every position on the pitch.

Arda Guler (Real Madrid), Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter Milan) and Kenan Yildiz (Juventus) were all part of this squad that was expected to compete against Europe's top national sides.

Yet individual talent alone was not enough to pull Turkey out of this slump. This four match losing streak exposes the team's failure to maintain consistent performance when facing high quality opposition.

Disappointing 2026 World Cup Campaign Also Weighed On Montella

The decision to sack Montella cannot be separated from Turkey's underwhelming performance at the 2026 World Cup.

After qualifying for the quadrennial tournament for the first time since 2002, Turkey crashed out in the group stage and became one of the first teams eliminated from the competition.

A 0-1 defeat against Paraguay - despite their opponents playing with 10 men - followed by an opening 0-2 loss to Australia placed enormous pressure on Montella. Even a 3-2 victory over the United States in their final group match was not enough to rescue Turkey from elimination from Group D.

This World Cup result stood in stark contrast to public expectations ahead of the tournament. Turkey had arrived with a squad stacked with talented young prospects and established stars plying their trade at top European clubs. Yet they were unable to find the consistency required to progress to the knockout rounds.

This World Cup disappointment then carried over into the Nations League. Rather than using this tournament as an opportunity to rebuild confidence, Turkey instead fell deeper into this run of losses.

From Euro 2024 Quarter Final To Sacking

Montella's dismissal makes for a sharp contrast compared to the early success he enjoyed with the Turkish national side.

Montella took over the role in September 2023, replacing Stefan Kuntz. His arrival brought positive change, capped by Turkey's impressive run at Euro 2024.

Turkey advanced all the way to the quarter final stage, before being knocked out by the Netherlands with a 1-2 scoreline. That campaign reignited public optimism for the future of Turkish football and cemented Montella's position as head coach.

He subsequently guided Turkey through the World Cup Qualification process, securing their spot at the finals via the playoff route after defeating Romania and Kosovo.

This success ended Turkey's long wait for a World Cup return, having last appeared at the 2002 tournament where they finished in third place.

On the back of these achievements, Montella's contract had originally been extended to run until after Euro 2028. But international football affords very little job security for head coaches when results consistently go into terminal decline.

Montella's Departure Leaves Major Task For Turkish FA

Montella's exit has left TFF with a major challenge on their hands. The federation must now appoint a new head coach who can not only turn around results in the immediate short term, but also restore balance to the team's play and unlock the full potential of Turkey's young playing talent.

The immediate priority is the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Belgium and France in November. With relegation to League B looming large, these final two matches are make-or-break for Turkey, though as of yet the federation has made no announcement regarding Montella's replacement.

Montella's sacking lays bare the unforgiving nature of international national team management. Past achievements may build trust, but recent results will always remain the ultimate measuring stick.