Montella ‘did not expect’ such an angry Turkish reaction to 4-1 defeat

Turkey head coach Vincenzo Montella admitted he did not expect the hostile home crowd reaction during his team's 4-1 loss to Italy in Bursa on September 28, 2026. Italy took a commanding 3-0 lead in the UEFA Nations League fixture through goals from Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Frattesi, and Michael Kayode. Baris Alper Yilmaz scored for Turkey after halftime, but Francesco Pio Esposito sealed the victory for Italy.

Fans in the stadium jeered the team and chanted for Montella and the head of the Turkish Football Federation to resign before halftime. Montella stated his players lacked the required focus and mental preparation, while defending their accomplishments over the past three years following recent defeats against France and at the 2026 World Cup.