In the first match of the UEFA Nations League A Group 1, the A National Football Team will face France in Kocaeli tomorrow. Before the match, A National Football Team Head Coach Vincenzo Montella made statements at a press conference held at Kocaeli Stadium. Montella said, "We have very important absences. We trust all the players on the list. If they are here, they are here because they deserve it. This is a period where we can see new faces and see what we can add to the team."
Expressing that they experienced great sadness after the World Cup, the Italian coach said, "We shouldn't constantly talk about past failures. Everyone is in good shape right now. We are in a sector where competition is at a high level. We will play one of those tough matches tomorrow as well."
"Offers came, but I didn't listen to any of them"
When asked, "How will you handle the criticism if you get unsuccessful results in the next 4 matches?", Montella replied:
"I need to be realistic. I am very committed to the national team. I need to mention my entire staff. When we took office, it was a period where there were problems. For the first time in our history, we finished the group in first place and went to the European Championship, and we participated in the World Cup. There is no point in constantly counting these; football is ruthless. I wanted to continue my duty in the national team because our work here is not finished yet. There are things I need to achieve. Our president and our management make me feel their closeness. We experienced great sadness after the World Cup, but I wanted to get back on my feet. During this process, different offers came, but I didn't listen to any of them. We have entered a period where we will play four matches in a row. This situation excites us. We have to act with the understanding of how we can best represent our country."
"We are following Serhat Öztaşdelen"
Responding to a question about Kocaelispor goalkeeper Serhat Öztaşdelen, Montella said, "We are following Serhat. We watch a lot of matches and we come here often. We are expecting a great atmosphere for our national team again tomorrow."
"Our philosophy is to be able to play in different stadiums"
Answering a French journalist's question, "Why are you playing in Kocaeli instead of Istanbul? Is the atmosphere more pressurized?", the experienced coach said, "Actually, our philosophy is to be able to play in all stadiums. We chose a beautiful stadium that is not in Istanbul but is close to Istanbul."
Adding that he likes Kocaeli Stadium very much, Montella stated, "When we came last week, the pitch was not in very good condition, but they said that the pitch would be ready by the match."
News Source: 12punto
