Montella ‘turned down Roma dream job’ for Turkiye national team | OneFootball

Turkiye Football Federation President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu reveals Vincenzo Montella only turned down the Roma job if there was a promise before the World Cup play-offs.

The Italian turns 52 next month and will celebrate his birthday at the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, having qualified for the major tournament.

He took the job in September 2023 and had also qualified for the EURO 2024 competition, getting them to the quarter-finals.

However, it could all have been very different, as confirmed to the media today by Turkiye FA chief Haciosmanoglu.

Montella rejected Roma offer

DORTMUND, GERMANY – JUNE 18: Vincenzo Montella, Head Coach of Turkiye, gestures during the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Turkiye and Georgia at Football Stadium Dortmund on June 18, 2024 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

“Montella used to put a clause in his contracts saying that he could leave if Roma made an offer, but there was no such agreement in place with his contract for the national team,” the President told Fanatik.

“We were about to play the Nations League play-off game against Hungary when the offer came in from Roma for the coach.

“He came to us and said he would like to consider it, especially if you’re going to let me go in case we get bad results in the play-offs. It was so polite!

“I told him, as long as I am here, we’ll continue with you. He gave up on the dream he always had of coaching Roma.”

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)

Montella was an icon for the Giallorossi as a player from 1999 to 2007, then had some loan experiences before returning to retire in 2009.

He went straight into management at the Roma youth academy and was promoted to head coach of the senior squad for just 16 games in 2011.

The timing of the statement from the Turkish FA President puts the approach around the Nations League play-off with Hungary, which was in March 2025.

That was after Claudio Ranieri had taken over the Roma job in November 2024, and decided to keep him on for the next season too.