Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella has revealed he came close to quitting football during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also praising Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu as a rare and vital presence.
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Montella admitted that the uncertainty of that period left him questioning his future in the game. “During COVID I wanted to stop,” he said, with quotes via La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I was well with my family and didn’t have offers that excited me. Going to Adana, a completely different world, reignited me.”
That decision ultimately reshaped his career, leading him to the Turkey national football team job and a historic World Cup qualification. “An entire people is happy and for me that is the greatest reward,” he noted.
Turning to Calhanoglu, Montella highlighted the Inter playmaker’s importance to both club and country. “Calha is one of those deep-lying playmakers who are becoming rare,” he explained. “He is a champion you miss when he is not there. With him next to you, you feel safer because in difficult moments you can give him the ball knowing you are handing it to a bank.”
Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella is seen prior to the friendly football match between Hungary and Turkey in Budapest, Hungary, on March 22, 2024. (Photo by ATTILA KISBENEDEK / AFP) (Photo by ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP via Getty Images)
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Montella: ‘Roma breakup a shame’
Montella refused to be drawn into transfer speculation surrounding the midfielder, adding: “I never get involved in personal choices. For me, it is enough that he is happy, wherever he decides to play.”
The former Roma forward also addressed the situation at his old club, declining to judge the reported tensions involving Claudio Ranieri and Gian Piero Gasperini. “It is delicate to judge from the outside,” he said. “I have great respect for both and I don’t know what led to this ending. It’s a shame, because the fans believed in this project.”
Montella also spoke about Italy’s wider struggles, suggesting structural issues remain. “The national team is not as poor as it is made out to be,” he argued. “But perhaps we need to go back to basics, teaching young players technique rather than overwhelming them with tactics.”
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For Montella, the journey from uncertainty to renewed purpose has been clear. “Here I have rediscovered the flame of passion,” he said, a stark contrast to the moment he once considered walking away from football altogether.
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