Mancini's take on Turkey: They have very good players, a difficult team
Italy head coach Roberto Mancini spoke in glowing terms about the Turkish National Team and Vincenzo Montella following their 3-1 victory over Turkey.
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In Italy, which defeated Turkey 3-1 in the fourth match of the UEFA Nations League A Group 1, head coach Roberto Mancini made notable assessments regarding the Turkish National Team after the match.
Speaking at the press conference after the match played at the Renato Dall'Ara Stadium in Bologna, Mancini stated that Turkey is a strong team and that they experienced difficult moments during the contest.
I think Turkey is a very good national team; they lost, but they are a very difficult team, they have very good players. We played a difficult match. When you change nine players, you can lose some of your game strength.
The Italian coach stated that they had problems with ball possession at the beginning of the match but later became a part of the game. Mancini also pointed to Turkey's absences, emphasizing that the National Team took the field without some of its important players.
PRAISE FOR MONTELLA
Mancini also said that he finds the performance of his compatriot Vincenzo Montella, who manages Turkey, to be successful. Referring to his time at Galatasaray, Mancini recalled that he had good days in Turkey.
The experienced coach stated that Montella is doing a "really great job" with the National Team, citing Turkey's qualification for the World Cup and their rise to the A League level in the Nations League as examples. Mancini also expressed that the match between the two teams was generally balanced.
Speaking about his tenure in Italy, Mancini said they are pleased that the results are trending positively. Regarding the assessments made about him, he said, "I do not listen to the judgments passed about me, I take the criticisms into account. I will continue on my path."
Mancini also opened a separate parenthesis for Pio Esposito, who scored his team's final goal. Stating that the young player is hungry for goals and the fight, the Italian coach said that Esposito could turn into a very important forward within a few years.