Montella's striking remarks on Arda Güler

Speaking at the "MeeTürkItaly" meeting organized by the Italian Embassy in Turkey, Turkish National Football Team Head Coach Vincenzo Montella stated that they started the UEFA Nations League well with a draw against Wales and a victory over Iceland, saying, "We had a very intense and at the same time very positive week. We are in a group with a very high level of difficulty. Wales was in League A last year, and this year the competition continues at a very high level. I actually really like the Nations League. Thanks to this tournament, we have completely finished with friendly matches. That's why it's good to have competition in such a tournament. Iceland is also a highly competitive team. We are in a group where it is unclear what will happen until the end, but of course, we look at it match by match and try to do our best in every game."

The Italian coach responded to the question, "Does the fact that 4 teams will qualify for the World Cup from the UEFA Nations League motivate you even more?" by saying, "I want to say, how could it not? We felt it closely; all the matches in the Nations League are now passing in the spirit of a final. Because as you know, participating in the World Cup is more difficult than participating in the European Championship. 32 teams go to the European Championship, but there are 16 teams from the European continent that will participate in the World Cup. That's why we know how important and valuable that ticket is and that every match is in the spirit of a final. That's why this motivates us even more."

"ARDA'S DREAMS KNOW NO BOUNDS"

When reminded that national player Arda Güler frequently turns to the bench to communicate with him during matches, Vincenzo Montella said:

"Arda takes great pleasure in playing football. We can all see this; in fact, while watching him, we can even return to our own childhoods. Watching him really gives us all great pleasure. Because he is a footballer with very big dreams. Arda's dreams know no bounds, and sometimes when he asks for advice during a match, it is a pleasure to give it. So, we can say that we have a player who is constantly in communication and gives us joy."

THE FORWARD POSITION

The National Team Head Coach gave the following answer to the question, "You assigned Umut Nayir as a forward in the Iceland match. Can this be seen as an answer that 'I use a forward when necessary according to the opponent, I have no insistence on this'?":

"We have all seen that almost all of our players are capable of scoring goals; the strength of our national team comes from this diversity. This time, Umut Nayir was in the candidate squad. Umut played in all matches in the league this year, so he was in our candidate squad. In all the matches we play, we think according to our opponent. For example, we always include players in our candidate squad who we think we need and who will contribute to our national team. It should not be forgotten that Umut Nayir had not played at all last season, Cenk Tosun played a bit more, he was also among the players who played little, but we thought he would contribute to us in the European Championship, and that's how it turned out. He gave a very important performance in the European Championship, but he is not playing this season. Our doors are always open to all our players."

Vincenzo Montella responded to the question, "You had a statement that 'We have a league where we cannot catch much tempo, we must improve this.' In this respect, does it upset you that players return to the Super Lig from European clubs?" by saying, "The return of national players to the Super Lig does not upset me in any way. What is important is that our players are peaceful where they are and can train in the best way and play regularly in every match. Playing regularly is reflected in the players' performance, so it is not a problem for me whether they play in Europe or in Turkey; what is important for me is that they play in the clubs they are in and are peaceful."

"KEREM IS ONE OF THE TURKISH PLAYERS WHO HAS SCORED THE MOST GOALS IN RECENT YEARS"

Regarding the performance of Kerem Aktürkoğlu, who scored a hat-trick against Iceland, Montella assessed, "Kerem showed a tremendous performance in every sense. We must not forget this: Kerem is one of the Turkish players who has scored the most goals in recent years, and what does this mean? He is actually a player prone to scoring goals. I am really very happy for Kerem."

The Italian coach noted the following regarding Kenan Yıldız's performance, which is criticized from time to time:

"There was a lot of criticism about Kerem's national team performance before as well. If you play in the national team, there will inevitably be criticism about your performance. It should not be forgotten that Kenan is a 19-year-old footballer. He is currently wearing the number 10 jersey at Juventus and has a huge responsibility on his shoulders. That's why we need to follow the development of such a young player of ours. Kenan is a player very open to development. In terms of mentality, he is a player who always wants to contribute to the team, and his heart and soul beat with Turkishness. Therefore, the performance of this player will always be on our side, and I know that his future is guaranteed because we know him closely. We worked closely, so such a player will always have a place here with us."

"WE HAVE A VERY GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR NEW MANAGEMENT"

Vincenzo Montella gave the following answer to the question, "A new president and board of directors have taken office at the Turkish Football Federation. How are your relations with the new management? Do you feel comfortable?":

"We have a very good relationship with our new management. We know each other, and we have very similar sides in terms of character; we can think very practically and do very practical work together. That's why this is very enjoyable. Regarding the atmosphere in the team, I must say this: there is truly a family environment. We act like a club team; no one brings the team they came from here. We see together by living how important the national team is. I have seen this atmosphere since the day I arrived, thanks to them, so I enjoy it very much. We created this environment together; this is an important plus for us. There may be some factors trying to affect us negatively from the outside, but we will not allow this because we really have a very beautiful environment."

Montella assessed Eren Dinkci, who was selected for the national team for the first time, and young player Can Uzun, saying, "Everything is in their hands, it depends on them. Their development in the near future will tell us their direction. If they are being called up to the national team, it is because they really have a future here. That's why improving themselves in this process and continuing in this way makes everything different. Playing in the national team is not like in the club, so the level here is a bit different. When they are selected here, let them know that they have a future here; continuing is only in their hands."

Touching on the importance of the "MeeTürkItaly" meeting organized by the Italian Embassy in Turkey with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Montella continued his words as follows:

"This meeting shows once again how strong the ties between the two countries are. They really have very good relations. The fact that there are two Italian coaches at the head of the Turkish National Football Team and the Women's Volleyball Team actually represents how connected this culture is to each other, and this is a very beautiful thing. The combination of cultures actually brings wealth. Thanks to this cultural richness, I see myself as a more developed coach; an environment is created where I can renew and improve myself every time."

Congratulating the A National Women's Volleyball Team under the management of Daniele Santarelli for their successes, Montella said, "I want to congratulate them with all my heart. Because such great successes create very special moments. I couldn't follow the matches, but their being so successful made us all proud and happy."

Montella responded to the question, "Can we see the A National Football Team winning the World Cup one day, just like the A National Women's Volleyball Team?" by saying, "God willing, God willing, it will happen. Because we always do our work to achieve the best."