The opponents of our National Team in the Play-Off Round on the way to the 2026 World Cup have been determined. After the draw, Coach Vincenzo Montella made a statement.
HERE ARE MONTELLA’S WORDS:
Question: I think competitors should be afraid of Türkiye. What do you think?
We played really well on the way here, but now our goal is the Romania match and then the final. We have to perform very well in the first match.
Question: You will play against Kosovo or Slovakia in the final. How do you view this matchup?
Slovakia is led by Calzona, an Italian coach. He is a very good coach and his team is a good team that plays very compactly. I don’t have any match preferences for the final. I hope that we, as Türkiye, will make it to the finals. That’s my only thought. This is more important to me.
Do you think it is an advantage for us to know Romania’s coach Lucescu and Slovakia’s coach Calzona?
No, they know me very well too. Lucescu also has an Italian mentality in his football. He worked for a long time in Türkiye. He is a very smart coach. I have great respect for him.
It’s too early to think about the match. As you know, the matches will be played in March and we have a long time ahead of us. Things could be different from today. We have plenty of time to check and observe each player.