Turkey’s stunning 2-1 victory over Austria in the Euro 2024 knockout stages wasn’t just about tactics, according to manager Vincenzo Montella.
Montella’s men displayed incredible spirit and determination, with Merih Demiral’s double strike securing victory in a match hailed as the tournament’s best so far.
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“No one gave up,” Montella said.
“Everyone gave a bit extra in terms of their soul, and for a head coach, you know that there are matches such as these and you can only win matches such as these if there is a soul within the squad.
“There’s that belief, that conviction. I could go on all night, but I saw all of those attributes, and that makes me very proud.”
The win held extra significance for Montella, as it came after a humiliating 6-1 defeat to Austria in a friendly earlier this year.
“That was a tough loss to swallow,” Montella admitted. “Today, the team delivered the performance I’d been waiting for. We respect Austria, their coach, and their tactics, but this win is about our competitive spirit. As coaches and players, we all want to win, and I had a deep desire to overturn that previous result.”
The victory sparked jubilant celebrations across Turkish communities in Germany, and Montella acknowledged the passionate support.
“That was a horrible stain on my career,” Montella said.
“That was the team that I was really waiting for, to try and get this monkey off my back.
“So I respect Austria, I respect their head coach, I respect their game plan, the tactics that they implemented on the pitch. But we head coaches, just like footballers, are competitors,” the 50-year-old Italian said.
“And I had that real competitive instinct deep within me because I wanted to change this result. It was only a friendly, but there’s no such thing as a friendly at international level.”
Montella also responded to the incredible support Turkey has received at Euro 2024.
“I saw Turkish heart today and that’s what I love about this country” he added.
Despite missing key players due to suspension, Turkey will face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals with a slightly adjusted squad due to accumulated yellow cards. While acknowledging the challenge, Montella remained optimistic.
“It’s a bit of a headache rather than being fun.” he said. “We’ve got huge following. There’s passion and the love is really visceral back home in Turkey, so I’m very happy to have handed Turks a bit of pride,”
With Turkey exceeding expectations by defeating a group winner, fans are starting to believe a deep run is possible. Montella, however, remains focused on the next hurdle.
“We have incredible support back home, and we feel that responsibility,” he said. “We’ve worked hard to get here, and we’ll celebrate tonight. But come tomorrow, we’ll be back to work, preparing for the Netherlands.”