Montella: "We had 65 shots but it wouldn't go in, it wasn't meant to be"

After Türkiye's 1-0 defeat to Paraguay in 2026 FIFA World Cup Group D and their exit from the tournament, manager Vincenzo Montella expressed deep disappointment in his post-match comments and largely blamed the result on bad luck.

Montella said the nation and the federation had high expectations, as did he, adding that he was "very, very sorry." The Italian noted he had been in football for 35 years and that the scenario they experienced would normally come around once in 50 years. His most striking remarks concerned the chances created: Montella stressed that the team had taken a combined 65 shots across the two matches, and that there was no need even to mention their possession dominance. Saying "fate was not on our side," he noted that the opponents had won with very few chances.

Montella also responded sharply to criticism of his striker selection. Saying he looked at the renewed focus on the centre-forward question with "surprise," he again pointed to the 65 shots and said the ball simply would not go in. He added that if anyone could explain why certain moments happen in football, he would be ready to learn, remarking, "We go forward and it doesn't happen, but the opponent comes and scores with the first shot."

The manager said his striker changes were made according to how the game was unfolding and were not about performance, adding that claiming a single centre-forward would have changed everything was taking the easy way out. He said he had no negative thoughts about his players, that everyone had worked very hard, and that this made him even sadder.

Montella said he always looks at his players' work rate and desire, that they had fought to the end in both matches, and that his support would continue. "I told my players to keep their heads up; sometimes it's said — it just wasn't meant to be," he said, adding that everyone was sad but they had to leave the dressing room with their heads high and keep showing Türkiye's fighting spirit.

Image: goal.com