The Turkish Football Federation confirmed Monday that head coach Vincenzo Montella will not resign or be dismissed despite Turkey's elimination from the 2026 World Cup group stage.
Turkey suffered a 2-0 opening loss to Australia and a 1-0 defeat against 10-man Paraguay, rendering their final Group D match against the United States inconsequential for qualification.
Federation President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu dismissed any immediate coaching changes, stressing the need for squad continuity ahead of Euro 2028 qualifying.
"We will stand by both the coach of this team and the players. This is not a club," Haciosmanoglu said.
"You can't just send 15 players away and bring in 15 new ones here."
He highlighted the long-term vision for the young squad, noting Montella's overall record of 20 wins, five draws, and 10 defeats.
"Everyone's heart aches, but the 85 million in our beloved nation should know that everyone worked hard here," Haciosmanoglu stated.
"Most of them are around 20 years old; they will perhaps play in three or four more tournaments."
When asked if Montella offered to resign, Haciosmanoglu said he never gave the coach a chance to say it.
"If you're the President, you need to understand the psychology of both the player and the coach," he asserted.
Montella, speaking Wednesday ahead of the final group match, rejected demands for his resignation. "Will I resign?
The answer is no," he said through an interpreter.
"I still have energy. I still have enthusiasm.
I also feel stronger after this experience," Montella added.
The Italian manager strongly objected to personal hostility directed at players after a small group of fans heckled the team bus in Los Angeles.
"These are the same boys who are here today and who maybe will be here in the future, so I really ask you to respect them," Montella said.
He noted that the hostile reception involved only a tiny minority, while the vast majority of fans remained supportive.
"We had a heckling group of three, four people probably, and now thinking that this is how the whole country feels—this is negative," Montella said.
Montella affirmed that internal harmony among coaching staff, players, and federation leadership remains intact. "I have the support of the president, and this is enough for me.
I have the support of the players, and this is even more important," he stated.
Winger Kenan Yildiz also spoke about the team's statistical dominance despite failing to secure points. "We had the most shots.
We won a lot of duels. Both games, we did our best.
But statistics don't win the games," Yildiz said.
