Vincenzo Montella, the current head coach of the Turkey national squad, has been awarded the Euro Mediterranean Prize at the Palazzo Senatorio on Capitol Hill in Rome. The award, as reported by Italian news agency ANSA, recognises individuals who have contributed to development in the Mediterranean area, resulting in growth in business, society, culture and sport. Alongside Montella, the President of the Italian Football Federation, Gabriele Gravina, was also honoured with an award.
After the ceremony, Montella spoke about two Turkish players from Italy’s Serie A, Calhanoglu and Yildiz, who are currently playing for Inter Milan and Juventus respectively.
Discussing Calhanoglu, Montella was quoted by ANSA as saying, “I think that at the moment, Calha is definitely the best midfielder in Italy, maybe even in the world.”
Turning his focus on Kenan Yildiz from Juventus, Montella expressed his hope for the young player. He indirectly suggested that if Yildiz is unable to find adequate playtime at Juventus, he could consider growing with other teams. The source of this suggestion was not directly quoted but implied in Montella’s conversation with ANSA.