Turkey Sack Coach Vincenzo Montella After World Cup Exit and Nations League Slide

Turkey are searching for a new head coach after the Turkish Football Federation announced on Friday that it had parted ways with Vincenzo Montella, ending the Italian's three-year tenure in charge of the national side. The federation's executive board decided not to continue with the 52-year-old, issuing a statement that offered no reason for the dismissal and named no successor. Montella, appointed in September 2023, had led Turkey to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, but his spell unraveled badly over the past year. A group-stage elimination at the 2026 World Cup was followed by four consecutive defeats in the UEFA Nations League, the latest a 3-1 home loss to Italy on Tuesday. That run proved the final straw for the federation, which acted quickly in the October international window. Turkey's next competitive fixtures will now be planned under new leadership, with speculation already turning to who the federation will target to rebuild the side. For Montella, the sacking closes a chapter that began with genuine promise in 2023 but ended amid a collapse of results that left his position untenable.