Speaking at a press conference after Turkey's 2-1 win over the Czech Republic to advance to the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League as second in the group, head coach Montella said the group win was a historic success for the young Turkish team and would help ease the pressure the players were under.
Montella began by thanking the players and fans for their support and emphasized that this was a good performance that Turkey hadn't seen in years. He mentioned that despite the fact that the team played with one extra man against the Czech Republic, there was still room for improvement in their performance, but in the end they won the match. In particular, Montella pointed out that the fact that the team was able to take the lead again after a 1-1 draw showed the team's resilience and fighting spirit.
Speaking about his team's difficulties in the match, Montella believes that the goal was conceded because the goalkeeper was affected by a foul, but he is very happy that the team was able to overcome the pressure and succeed. He emphasized that the team remained united and played with confidence and great effort every time they played, which is why they deserved to get out of the group.
Montella also mentioned the excellent performance of player Çalhanoglu, especially the wonderful goal he scored, which demonstrated his extraordinary talent. However, he also expressed his concern over several yellow cards shown by the referee towards the end of the match, especially the one received by Çalhanoglu, which will result in him not being able to play in the next match.
For the next match against Austria, Montella believes it will be a tough challenge. He praised the Austrian team for being well organized, physical and cooperative. At the same time, he also mentioned that the Turkish team needs to continue to work hard and improve, especially as the youngest team to qualify for the Europa League, and that this success will help the players release some of the pressure.
In the end, Montella hopes that this historic outing will allow the team to relax and progress emotionally and be in better shape for the next challenges.
