Turkish Football Federation (TFF) President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu has thrown his full backing behind the Crescent-Stars head coach Vincenzo Montella, revealing that the Italian tactician not only enjoys deep-rooted respect in the squad, but sees himself as part of the country’s cultural fabric – so much so that even his daughter now wears the national jersey.
Speaking during the national team’s U.S. training camp in North Carolina, Hacıosmanoğlu painted a vivid picture of a tight-knit, college-like spirit that Montella has nurtured inside the Turkish setup.
“He’s not just a coach, he’s one of us,” Hacıosmanoğlu said. “The players love him, we love him. It’s not a boss-employee dynamic; it’s a friendship. We walk together.”
The bond, it seems, goes beyond the dressing room. Montella recently showed a video of his daughter, surrounded by American friends, cheering for Türkiye in national colors during their friendly against the U.S., even flashing the iconic Bozkurt gesture.
“If a foreign coach’s child is feeling that connection from afar,” Hacıosmanoğlu said, “then he’s passed that love for Türkiye to his family. He truly feels Turkish.”
Hacıosmanoğlu made it clear that Montella has no plans to leave. “He’ll serve for many years,” he said. “That’s his only goal.”
The TFF boss believes Türkiye has the talent, heart, and now the harmony to qualify directly for the next FIFA World Cup.
He cited the Euro 2024 journey, especially the dominant win over Austria, as evidence of their potential. “After we beat Austria, I thought we were on our way to the final,” he said. “The loss to the Netherlands hurt – my 9-year-old daughter saw my reaction and told me, ‘Don’t be angry, Baba, become the football boss and win the World Cup.’ That pure faith pushed me to run for TFF president just 12 days before the election.”
He stressed that this current crop of players should form the national backbone for at least a decade.
“This generation will stick together for over 10 years,” he said, singling out captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu. “Hakan is the brain of the team – a character shaped by pain and perseverance. He lost two Champions League finals, but we told him: ‘You’re destined to lift the World Cup instead.’”
According to Hacıosmanoğlu, this is a new era of Turkish talent. “We used to talk about other teams filled with ‘lejyoner’ players,” he said. “Now, we’re that team. Wherever we go, local fans fight to take photos with Kenan Yıldız. That’s pride. We need more of that.”
Shifting from football to humanity, Hacıosmanoğlu praised high-profile coaches like Pep Guardiola and Roberto Mancini for condemning violence in Gaza and urged others to follow suit.
“This isn’t about religion,” he said. “If you can’t feel for slaughtered children, you’re not human. Today it’s our children, tomorrow it could be yours.”
He expressed disappointment in wealthy Muslim nations’ tepid responses to the crisis, urging solidarity and moral courage. “If they united, this suffering would end,” he said. “May God awaken their conscience.”
