After Turkey's World Cup Exit: Montella Rules Out Resignation

Sporting Situation Ahead of the Final Group Match

Montella also called on his critics to show restraint. "Ihr solltet nicht alles zerstören, alles wegwerfen", he said with reference to the discussion surrounding his own position. He pointed to the historic dimension of the participation: "Wir hatten 24 Jahre ohne WM-Teilnahme und jetzt sind wir hier. Das müssen wir den Leuten sagen. Es ist etwas Gutes, dass wir hier sind. Wir müssen zusammenstehen." There had also been "auch 50 Leute, die uns unterstützt haben" – in contrast to negative reactions.

At the same time, Montella sharply criticized parts of the reporting in the Turkish media. "Es gab persönliche Attacken, die ich nicht akzeptieren kann", he said at the start of the press conference. According to reports, the background also includes incidents at the team hotel, where a small group of three to four individuals insulted the team, according to a Turkish federation spokesperson; videos of this attracted significant attention on social media.

Criticism of Media and Incident at the Team Hotel

The coach also highlighted a special personal achievement: "Es habe noch nie einem türkischen Nationaltrainer gegeben, der ein Team sowohl zu einer EM als auch zu einer WM geführt habe." In doing so, he referred to his own record of having led Turkey to both a European Championship and a World Cup.

Turkey's final group match is scheduled for Friday at 4:00 AM CEST against the USA, with the game broadcast by Magenta TV. The USA have already secured first place in Group D. For the Turkish team, therefore, only sporting pride and a positive response to the tournament remain at stake.

Significance of the Participation After 24 Years

Montella had previously come under attack in Turkish media reports, including after his team's disappointing performances. In this context, the coach complained of "harte Artikel" and personal attacks. He indirectly called for a reset in the public treatment of the team and emphasized that the return after 24 years of World Cup absence was in itself already a success.

The press conference was distributed in several languages, including via the official FIFA translation. This was apparently intended to reach a broad, international media audience. With the confirmation of the president's support, the federation backed Montella, while at the same time signaling that a sporting turnaround is expected in the final group match.

Outlook on the Match Against the USA

Overall, Montella painted the picture of a coach who, despite the sporting disappointment, is sticking to his plan and wants to shield the team from further public hostility. The coming weeks and the match against the USA will show whether the federation supports this course.