DORTMUND — Vincenzo Montella turned down an offer to become head coach of Roma while he was under contract as head coach of the Türkiye national team. The offer came around the time of Türkiye’s UEFA Nations League play-off match against Hungary in 2024.

Montella, who was appointed head coach of the Türkiye national team in September 2023, approached the Türkiye Football Federation to discuss the Roma offer. He asked whether he would be permitted to leave if Türkiye produced poor results in the play-offs. Türkiye Football Federation President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu responded by assuring Montella he would remain head coach regardless of the outcome. “He would remain head coach regardless of the play-off results,” Haciosmanoglu said.

The decision carried added significance because Montella’s contract with the Türkiye national team did not include a clause allowing him to depart for Roma, unlike previous coaching agreements he had signed. Haciosmanoglu confirmed that while Montella had previously embedded such provisions in other contracts, no similar escape clause existed in his Türkiye deal.

Montella’s connection to Roma runs deep. He played for the Italian club from 1999 to 2007 and returned to retire there in 2009. He also managed Roma’s senior squad for 16 games in 2011 after beginning his coaching career with the club’s youth academy.

Under Montella, Türkiye qualified for UEFA EURO 2024 and reached the quarter-finals. He was in charge during their group stage match against Georgia on June 18, 2024, in Dortmund, Germany. Montella is expected to continue with the national team through the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. He will turn 52 in June 2026.