14.10.2025 00:17
In the fourth match of Group E of the 2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers, the head coach of the Turkish National Football Team, Vincenzo Montella, stated that he felt a great disappointment due to national goalkeeper Berke Özer leaving the camp without permission.
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In the fourth match of the UEFA Euro 2026 Qualifiers Group E, the Turkish National Football Team, which will face Georgia in Kocaeli, held a press conference where head coach Vincenzo Montella made statements.
'THINGS THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN' Montella emphasized the importance of the family atmosphere in the national team regarding Berke Özer's departure from the national team camp, stating that he would not allow this environment to be disrupted: "We always say there is a family atmosphere among these players, and I believe this is accepted by everyone. There is an incredible family atmosphere, and we achieve this with the desire to be here. Players must always fight for the national team. We must give everything for the team. My job is to select the best players, and while making these selections, we try to do what is best according to the strategies determined from match to match. Therefore, when you look at this situation, I take responsibility while doing my job when making decisions. We make technical decisions. When such events occur, the players must also take responsibility; if we are here as responsible people and represent the honor of our country, we must do whatever it takes. This time, when determining our goalkeepers before the match, I made such a decision as a technical choice, but he implied that he was against the technical choice with the statement he released. We are here to represent our country and its honor; you cannot do this here, leaving without informing anyone when we return, and it should not be things that happen. If you are doing this, unfortunately, there are consequences."
'A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT FOR ME' Using the words, "I will not prolong this issue any further because we have more important matters like tomorrow's match, we will be playing a match that feels like a final," Montella expressed:
"We have been competing in the World Cup category, which we have not been able to participate in for a long time. When I sent the first national team invitation to Berke, he was playing in the second league for Eyüpspor; I had him play two matches in the US camp, he had not transferred to Lille, perhaps thanks to those performances, he found the opportunity to take such a step. In his statement, he almost implied that our selections were based on the team our players came from. If that were the case, Berke would not have been able to play in the US camp. This is a great disappointment for me. I experienced such a disappointment that we are talking about an institution where no one has a guarantee of playing. This is the national team; the best player at that moment plays. He could have talked to Mert Günok and sought advice; after playing for the first time in 2012, he had to wait 7 years to play again. Even though he is not playing right now, he has an extremely professional approach, supporting everyone; I would have expected that. We must protect this family atmosphere; our respect for the group is very important before the respect for me. I have an expectation from Berke as well; I would like him to come out and say, 'I did these things.' It is very important for the peace and respect of our group, no matter who it is."
'WE WILL NOT FORGET' Emphasizing that they are facing a tough opponent tomorrow, Montella stated, "We will be facing an incredibly developing team. What we need to do here is to prepare for certain scenarios against our opponent; will they challenge us from the beginning of the match or in the last minutes? We have prepared for different scenarios. We also know how tough an opponent they are. With our ambition and belief, we want to reach the World Cup goal. Every match in the group is tough; we struggled in the first half of the last match as well. We reset the goal difference, which was very important for us. Tomorrow, we want to achieve the desired result by doing everything we can. We will not forget how tough an opponent they are." he evaluated.
'WE CAN WITNESS THE DEATH OF INNOCENT PEOPLE' In response to the reminder that the ticket revenues from tomorrow's match will be donated to Palestine by the TFF, Montella said, "Everything done in the name of humanity deserves appreciation. We are living in a time where we can witness the death of innocent people. Therefore, we must do everything we can." The Italian coach also sent a message to the Kocaeli fans, saying, "We follow all the matches out of habit, but I watched a match here last week, and I imagine how warm the atmosphere can be; we are looking forward to tomorrow. I hope we have more matches in the future. It will be a very special night for our two players."
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