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Montella seeks victory against Italy despite key absences
Türkiye head coach Vincenzo Montella said they are targeting victory before their UEFA Nations League A Group 1 match against Italy.
Türkiye head coach Vincenzo Montella spoke ahead of their UEFA Nations League A Group 1 match against Italy. Speaking at a press conference held at Renato Dall'Ara Stadium alongside national team player Ozan Kabak, Montella said their aim was to leave the field with a victory.
Montella said they were competing in League A for the first time and were gaining experience at this level. The coach said they were working harder after every match to achieve the results they wanted and added that they were determined to beat Italy as well.
New players to replace those unavailable
Montella said that Arda Güler, Kenan Yıldız, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Barış Alper Yılmaz, Orkun Kökçü and Mert Günok were not in the squad and that their absences were significant. Emphasizing that Hakan Çalhanoğlu was a very valuable player for the team, Montella described the situation as an opportunity to give new faces playing time and help younger players gain experience.
Montella said the team would maintain its confidence despite the absences and expressed his belief that they would achieve a good result against Italy.
Montella assesses the criticism
Montella said he was open to criticism, adding that he did not take illogical criticism into account but listened to constructive criticism. The coach said they were competing in League A for the first time and had reached this level together, highlighting the performances against France, Italy and Belgium.
Montella said the team had struggled to score in those matches. He noted that they had entered the opposition penalty area 42 times against Belgium without scoring and said some players had played outside their usual positions.
Montella said harsh and unfair criticism directed at the players could affect them and stressed that assessments should be balanced. He also said that, at the previous press conference, he had been asked to call up a 31-year-old striker playing in the third tier.
The impact of the World Cup and his future
Asked whether Türkiye was still feeling the impact of its World Cup results, Montella said he knew the atmosphere around the team was one of sadness. He noted that three important players had been returning from injury at the time, one of them Arda Güler, and said the tournament had not gone as they wanted.
Montella said the team needed to build on its World Cup experience and that he spoke with his players each time about how they could do better. Asked whether the match against Italy could be his last in charge of the national team, he said he did not discuss his future and was devoting all his energy to his current role and the national team.
Ozan Kabak: We want a good performance and result
National team player Ozan Kabak said they wanted to put in a good performance against Italy and leave the field with a positive result. Kabak said the first three matches in the group had not gone as they wanted and that they were aware of the expectations, but added that they had faced three tough opponents.
Kabak said they needed to learn from their mistakes and continue on their way. He said they knew Italy's strength and wanted to respond to their opponents. Noting that especially the first half of the match played in Türkiye against Italy had not gone as they wanted, Kabak said he expected a different match this time.
Emphasizing that unity within the team was their greatest strength, Kabak said they maintained a family atmosphere even when results were poor. The national team player said they had conceded too many goals in defense and were working on the problem, adding that one way to win was to concede fewer goals.
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