Dismissal of Kuntz from the Position of Turkish National Team Coach

The Turkish Football Federation announced on Wednesday the dismissal of the national team's head coach, German Stefan Kuntz, following the disappointing performances of his team in recent weeks. According to Turkish media, Italian Vincenzo Montella is the leading candidate to replace the German coach. Kuntz, the former coach of Germany's under-21 team, faced pressure in recent weeks, especially after the Turkish team was held to a 1-1 draw at home against Armenia on September 8 during the qualifiers for Euro 2024, followed by a 2-4 loss in a friendly match against Japan four days later. The German coach, who took up his position in September 2021, failed to lead Turkey to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and faced increasing criticism for both his tactical choices and statements. Turkey ranks 41st in the global rankings and is in second place in Group D of the Euro 2024 qualifiers, with 10 points from five matches, trailing Croatia (10 points from four matches), whom they will face on October 12, and ahead of Armenia and Wales (7 points from five matches).