The Turkish national team's 0:1 defeat to Paraguay, which saw them bid farewell to the 2026 World Cup, was met with great sadness in the brotherly country.
Modern.az reports that the former head coach of the national team, Şenol Güneş, also commented on the issue.
Güneş stated that the responsible person for the team is head coach Vincenzo Montella, and he should provide the answers.
Speaking to TRT Spor, Şenol Güneş said:
"Our hopes were very high, our goal was ambitious. On paper, we even thought we could reach the quarter-finals. We were superior in terms of play and goal situations, we looked good, but we couldn't get a result. We were also superior in terms of the individual quality of the players."
The expert, stating that they expected Paraguay to play defensive football, added:
"The opponent scored with their first shot. We already expected them to defend. They close down well and launch quick counter-attacks. In the first goal, we gave the opponent too much space and allowed them to shoot."
He emphasized that a lack of quality was felt in the Turkish national team's play:
"There were no actions that would bring a result commensurate with the talent of our players. We gained certain advantages on the wings, but we couldn't find the goal. Even when they were down to ten men, we still made mistakes when the opponent attacked. This kind of quality deficiency is immediately apparent at the World Cup level."
Speaking about Montella, Şenol Güneş said:
"Vincenzo Montella is trying his best. He is the responsible person and he will provide the answers. We were not weaker than our opponents, but we did not play better football than them. Even if there were 11 different players in the squad, I don't think much would change. Both the coach and the players must learn from this result.
I know how upset the players are, but there's nothing that can be done now. Instead of looking for a culprit, we need to draw conclusions from the result and find a better way with new ideas."
It should be recalled that under the leadership of Şenol Güneş, the Turkish national team achieved one of the greatest successes in its history by finishing 3rd in the 2002 World Cup.
