Türkiye coach Vincenzo Montella on Kerem Aktürkoğlu, Çağlar Söyüncü and his side's EURO 2024 prospects – interview
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
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"The team must do its best and have conviction but absolutely not arrogance," says Vincenzo Montella as Türkiye gear up for a hard UEFA EURO 2024 campaign.
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A classy forward who won the 2000/01 Serie A title during a ten-year spell with Roma, Vincenzo Montella was a EURO 2000 finalist with Italy and went on to coach a number of top-tier clubs in his home country before a move to Turkish side Adana Demirspor in 2021 prompted a change of direction.
Montella spent two seasons in charge at the club from the south of Türkiye, leading them to a fourth-placed finish in the league in 2022/23 (and earning them a first shot at European football in UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying). Hired as Türkiye coach in September 2023, he promptly secured wins against Croatia and Latvia to earn his side a place at EURO 2024.
On his coaching principles
You must believe in your own ideas to be able to convince your players. When you have a single idea that is shared by everyone, that idea is certainly stronger when everyone finds it convincing. I don't believe there's a winning plan for everyone, otherwise everybody would use it! So I believe you have to choose a plan according to the characteristics of your players, and that's the longest and toughest job of all: nurturing your players' qualities, rather than your own plan of reference or preference.
Winning our group has been historic for us, because it's the first time that Türkiye has won in the groups both for the EURO and for the World Cup. We're very pleased to have come top, but I think that from now on another adventure will begin.
On coaching Adana Demirspor in Türkiye
It certainly was a formative experience. I adapted quite well to their culture, which I happen to like a lot and that is a lot like my own culture from when I was a child and a teenager. I grew up in a small town in southern Italy, near Naples, and I believe that it helped me, also because I started to understand the different facets of every player's character, so I definitely adapted in this sense. It was definitely an experience that was useful when I came to coach the Turkish national team.
On Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Çağlar Söyüncü
[Kerem Aktürkoğlu] is a very important player because he's fast, he is a player who works for the team, he has the features of modern football that I think are fundamental. In addition to talent, there's the availability he gives to the team and an aptitude for attacking the spaces. So, for me, this is pivotal in the football world.
[Çağlar Söyüncü] has a beautiful story – there are many stories like his. I myself started in the Italian Serie C. He is a player with a strong personality on the pitch but this personality and charisma are also clear off the pitch. He has a personality that any coach can easily use in a team because he is a positive, selfless person with a strong personality.
On being on the bench for Italy in the EURO 2000 final
The championship itself was a wonderful experience. We got to the final and we were one step away from the historic victory, but it left a sour taste in my mouth that I actually still have today. I remember perfectly the last passage of play, the 1-1, that goal [David Trezeguet's 'golden goal' winner].
On Türkiye's EURO prospects
In my opinion, this competition is more difficult than previous ones because the bar has been raised and even the mid-level teams have improved their level, so the team must do its best and have conviction but absolutely not arrogance.
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