Montella: Turkey didn’t play badly; I rested Cürekli for fear of injury

On the early morning of June 23, in the second round of the European Championship group stage, Turkey suffered a 0-3 defeat to Portugal.

Turkish coach Montella decided not to start new Real Madrid star Cürekli, sparking controversy.

Explaining his decision, Montella said that Cürekli was extremely fatigued and at risk of injury, a statement that met with dissatisfaction and criticism in Turkey, especially as he later brought the youngster on as a substitute.

Facing strong reactions from Turkish fans both domestically and abroad, Montella offered this explanation: “I feel enormous sympathy for Cürekli. He was exhausted, and there was a risk of injury if he continued. I introduced him because we needed a goal and hoped he could help us find the net.”

Additionally, Montella addressed the issue of goalkeeper rotations, particularly his choice of Manchester United’s Bağış for the starting spot against Portugal. He explained, “We have a very competitive goalkeeping squad, all three are excellent. Bağış performed impressively against Italy in a friendly and was solid against Wales. Just before the Portugal match, we learned that Metehan Güneş was injured. Altay also had a good showing against Germany. All three goalkeepers have strong abilities, making selection always challenging. As the national team coach, I understand that when results don’t go well, I’m often the first to be criticized. But these choices were based on my professional judgment.”

Amid ongoing questions about Cürekli’s utilization and the goalkeeper changes, Montella emphasized, “Perhaps we should focus more on the actual game. In reality, our performance wasn’t bad. In the first 20 minutes, we were very close to scoring. But when you don’t score early, especially against such a strong opponent, the game becomes harder. After they scored, their morale soared, and while we were trying to regain our rhythm, they scored again. Nevertheless, we fought until the very end, with the whole team giving their all.”