Turkey: Arda Turan in pole position to become head coach

After four defeats in the Nations League, Vincenzo Montella is reportedly close to leaving the Turkish national team

Europe Today at 14:30

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Turkey: Arda Turan in pole position to become head coach

Turkey is preparing to move on from Vincenzo Montella, while Arda Turan has already emerged as the favorite to succeed him.

Vincenzo Montella’s situation at the helm of Turkey has become almost untenable. According to several local media outlets, as reported this Wednesday by La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Turkish Football Federation is preparing to part ways with the Italian coach after a series of particularly poor results.

The latest defeat, on Monday against Italy (1-3), confirmed the poor run of a national team that has suffered four defeats in as many matches in the UEFA Nations League A: 0-1 against France, 1-4 and then 1-3 against Italy, and 0-3 against Belgium. Turkey logically sit bottom of their group with zero points and a -9 goal difference.

Incroyable : Arda Turan serait le favori pour devenir le 𝗦𝗘́𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗨𝗥 𝗗𝗘 𝗟𝗔 𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗘 lorsque Vincenzo Montella sera prochainement licencié ! 🤩🇹🇷 C'est la presse turque mais aussi la @Gazzetta_it qui donnent cette info ces dernières heures. Pour ceux qui n'auraient pas suivi, l'ancien milieu de l'Atlético et du Barça est devenu coach il y a seulement 3 ans, et voici son parcours : 🇹🇷 Eyüpspor (2023-2025) 🇺🇦 Shakhtar Donetsk (depuis 2025) Il a notamment fait monter le club turc en D1 en remportant le titre de D2, et terminé champion en Ukraine également la saison passée... Ça claque sur le papier franchement, non ? 😁
— Footballogue (@Footballogue) October 7, 2026

The 2026 World Cup had already weakened Montella’s position

The difficulties did not begin during this international break. A few months earlier, Turkey had been eliminated in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, despite returning to the competition after a 24-year absence.

Montella had nevertheless extended his contract through Euro 2028 in June 2025. According to La Gazzetta, his departure could earn him approximately €915,000 in compensation, equivalent to five months of salary.

A coaching career that has taken him to several major clubs

Montella, 52, has extensive experience on European sidelines. After beginning with Roma’s youth teams, he took charge of the first team in 2011, before moving to Catania and then Fiorentina between 2012 and 2015. He subsequently coached Sampdoria, AC Milan, with whom he won the 2016 Italian Super Cup, and then Sevilla FC.

He returned to Fiorentina in 2019 before reviving his career in Turkey with Adana Demirspor between 2021 and 2023. Appointed head coach of the national team in September 2023, he notably led Turkey to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals and to a historic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

Arda Turan in pole position to take over

One name has already emerged as his replacement: Arda Turan. The former Turkey international, who earned 100 caps and scored 16 goals, has been in charge of Shakhtar Donetsk since summer 2025 after a successful first spell at Eyüpspor.

If his appointment is confirmed, Turan could quickly be thrown in at the deep end. Turkey are due to host Belgium on November 12, before travelling to France on November 15 to conclude their group campaign. Those two fixtures could therefore mark the beginning of a new era in the Turkish dugout.