- In its 103-year history, the Turkish national team has taken the field under a total of 47 head coaches, 26 Turkish and 21 foreign, in the 658 matches it has played
- Sergen Yalcin will be the 27th Turkish head coach to lead the national team
- Turkish national team has played the most matches under Fatih Terim and also recorded the most wins during his tenure as head coach
The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced Tuesday that Sergen Yalcin has become the 48th head coach in the history of the Turkish national football team after replacing Vincenzo Montella.
The TFF parted ways with Montella and appointed Yalcin on a four-year contract to lead the national side.
As a player, Yalcin spent the majority of his club career at Besiktas, where he became a fan favorite. He also represented other major Turkish clubs, including Fenerbahce, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor. Internationally, he earned 37 caps and scored five goals for Türkiye, participating in UEFA Euro 1996 and UEFA Euro 2000.
As a manager, Yalcin has previously won the Turkish Super Lig and Turkish Cup with Besiktas. He has also managed Gaziantepspor, Sivasspor, Kayserispor, Eskisehirspor, Konyaspor, Alanyaspor, Yeni Malatyaspor and Antalyaspor.
27th Turkish coach
Türkiye has played 658 matches during its 103-year history under 47 different coaches, including 26 Turkish and 21 foreign managers.
Yalcin will become the 27th Turkish coach to take charge of the national team.
Alongside Turkish coaches, the national team has been managed by four Hungarians and four Italians, three Englishmen and three Yugoslavs, two Romanians and two Germans, as well as one Scottish, one Irish and one Dutch coach.
Terim holds coaching records
Fatih Terim has overseen the most matches in Türkiye’s history, with 135 games across four separate spells between 1990 and 2017.
Türkiye also recorded its most victories under Terim, winning 70 of those 135 matches, including one awarded by default.
One-match coaches
Several coaches have taken charge of the national team for only one match, including Ali Sami Yen in 1923, Gunduz Kilic in 1954, Seref Gorkey in 1962, Sukru Gulesin in 1969, Nicolae Petrescu in 1971 and Unal Karaman in 2004.
Terim, Denizli and Gunes oversee major achievements
Three Turkish coaches have guided the national team to some of the most significant achievements in its history.
Under Terim, Türkiye qualified for the European Championship finals for the first time at EURO 1996 and reached the semifinals at EURO 2008.
Mustafa Denizli led Türkiye to the quarterfinals at EURO 2000, while Senol Gunes guided the team to the 2002 FIFA World Cup after a 48-year absence. Türkiye finished third at the tournament and also claimed third place at the FIFA Confederations Cup.
Gunes began a second spell in charge in 2019 but left after disappointing results at EURO 2020 and in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Montella era ends after initial rise
Montella took over from Stefan Kuntz in 2023 and initially led Türkiye to a series of notable achievements.
His tenure began with an away victory over Croatia, followed by a quarterfinal appearance at EURO 2024. Türkiye also secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and reached UEFA Nations League A for the first time.
However, Türkiye failed to advance from the group stage at the 2026 World Cup and subsequently lost its first four matches in Nations League A.
The results ultimately led the TFF to part ways with Montella and hand the national team to Yalcin.