Turkiye's Spirit Leads To Historic Win Over Austria In Euro 2024

Vincenzo Montella lauded Turkiye's spirit and determination after their win over Austria in Leipzig on Tuesday. Merih Demiral's two goals helped Montella's team reach the quarter-finals of the European Championships for the first time since 2008.

"No one gave up," Montella said. "Everyone gave a bit extra in terms of their soul, and for a head coach, you know that there are matches such as these and you can only win matches such as these if there is a soul within the squad. There’s that belief, that conviction. I could go on all night, but I saw all of those attributes, and that makes me very proud."

However, the outcome could have been different if not for Mert Gunok's crucial save. As the game neared the fourth minute of injury time, Christoph Baumgartner's header was expertly tipped behind by the Besiktas goalkeeper.

The victory held significant meaning for Montella, especially after his team suffered a 6-1 defeat to Austria in a friendly match back in March. "That was a horrible stain on my career," Montella admitted. "That was the team that I was really waiting for, to try and get this monkey off my back."

Montella expressed respect for Austria and their tactics but highlighted his competitive nature. "I respect Austria, I respect their head coach, I respect their game plan, the tactics that they implemented on the pitch. But we head coaches, just like footballers, are competitors. And I had that real competitive instinct deep within me because I wanted to change this result."

Montella's side will face the Netherlands in Berlin this Saturday for a spot in the semi-finals and potentially play against England. "We’ve got huge following," he said. "There’s passion and the love is really visceral back home in Turkey, so I’m very happy to have handed Turks a bit of pride."

Mert Gunok's last-minute save was pivotal in securing Turkiye's triumph. The goalkeeper's quick reflexes prevented Baumgartner from scoring during injury time.

"Mert Gnok’s incredible 95th-minute save #EUROLastMinute | @Hublot pic.twitter.com/N2AImAbc7A" - UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) July 2, 2024

Montella acknowledged the immense support from Turkish fans and emphasised hard work from day one as key to their success. "So this responsibility, this love and support, we constantly feel it. But you can only really embrace these dreams if you work hard right from day one."

Looking Ahead

The team celebrated their victory but quickly shifted focus to prepare for their next challenge against the Netherlands. "We’ll really celebrate tonight," Montella said, "but as of tomorrow, we get down to work."

"eyrek Final Pozu! #Bizimocuklar | #MilliTakminTekYrek | #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/ancEnhghPj" - Trkiye #Bizimocuklar (@MilliTakimlar) July 2, 2024

This victory has instilled pride among Turkish supporters and showcased Turkiye’s resilience on an international stage.