20.05.2026 23:00
Sports commentator Necati Ateş harshly criticized Italian coach Vincenzo Montella for his squad selection. Necati Ateş stated that the choice of Salih Özcan was wrong, commenting, "What is he doing in the national team squad?"
Former national football player and sports commentator Necati Ateş strongly criticized the preliminary squad selections made by A Milli Futbol Takımı Technical Director Vincenzo Montella. Speaking on the sporON YouTube channel, Ateş particularly highlighted a player included in the squad despite lacking sufficient playing time, directing sharp remarks at the Italian coach.
''WHAT IS HE DOING IN THE SQUAD?''
Necati Ateş harshly criticized the selection of Salih Özcan, who plays for Borussia Dortmund, stating, "What is Salih Özcan doing in the national team squad? He has played only 71 minutes in total this season. Coach, don't call up a player who has only stayed on the pitch for 71 minutes to the extended squad. You should focus on those who deserve it more, players who regularly get playing time at their clubs."
''CALL UP THOSE WHO DESERVE IT MORE''
Emphasizing the need for a fair squad selection, the former national striker said, "For example, we have a center-back playing for Alanyaspor in the Süper Lig; at least include him in the extended squad. You might not be able to take him to the final squad due to many alternatives, but you must make the deserving player feel this opportunity. We need to call up players who play more and get more minutes."
''EXCEPTIONS ARE ONLY VALID FOR MAJOR EXPERIENCE''
Ateş stated that players with limited playing time can only be called up to the national team in very special cases, saying, "There are some players; they are incredibly talented but have had bad luck with injuries and thus haven't played—I understand that, you include them in the squad. Fatih Terim did that in the past, and so did Şenol Güneş. Or if a player has worn the national jersey 60-70 times and brings experience to lead the team, you call them up too. But in this scenario, the situation is very different."