Şenol Güneş Says Türkiye Should Choose a Turkish Coach for National Team Vacancy
Former Türkiye manager Şenol Güneş believes the country’s next national team head coach should be Turkish. With Vincenzo Montella having left the position, Güneş has urged the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) to make domestic leadership a priority, arguing that the national side should be guided by someone closely connected to the nation’s football culture.
The 74-year-old coach shared his view while discussing the vacant post and looking ahead to a Süper Lig meeting between two clubs he knows well: Trabzonspor and Beşiktaş. Güneş has managed both teams during his long career, giving him experience of the demands and expectations surrounding each institution.
Güneş: The National Team Should Reflect Türkiye’s Football Culture
For Güneş, appointing a Turkish coach is about more than choosing a candidate from a particular country. He argues that a national team manager needs to understand the football environment, the players and the emotional significance of representing Türkiye.
“The national team must reflect the football culture of the country,” Güneş said, adding that a Turkish coach should not be treated as merely one possible option. In his view, domestic managers have the tactical understanding and connection with the national environment required for the role.
His comments come as the TFF considers how to fill the vacancy following Montella’s departure. The choice will shape not only the team’s immediate direction, but also the way its coaching structure is developed in the longer term.
Stability and Institutional Knowledge
Güneş also highlighted the value of building a coaching setup on local knowledge. He cautioned against relying on short-term foreign appointments, suggesting that lasting progress requires a structure rooted in Türkiye’s own football experience.
A coach familiar with the domestic game may have a clearer understanding of the league, the pressures faced by players and the expectations surrounding the national side. That familiarity, Güneş’s argument implies, can help the team establish continuity rather than repeatedly changing direction with each appointment.
The debate over who should take charge has gained additional urgency after Arda Turan publicly committed himself to Shakhtar Donetsk. Güneş’s support for a Turkish candidate adds weight to calls for the federation to focus its search on domestic options, although the final decision rests with the TFF.
Güneş Assesses Trabzonspor vs Beşiktaş
The coaching discussion was not Güneş’s only subject. He also offered his perspective on the upcoming Trendyol Süper Lig clash between Trabzonspor and Beşiktaş at Papara Park.
Given his history with both clubs, Güneş said he would approach the contest impartially. He acknowledged, however, that Trabzonspor could benefit from playing at home. The atmosphere in Trabzon, he suggested, can influence the pace of a match from its opening stages.
That home advantage may be especially significant in a fixture involving two teams with strong expectations and passionate support. The crowd can help the hosts set the tempo, while the visitors must manage the early pressure and avoid allowing the occasion to dictate their performance.
What the TFF Must Consider
Güneş’s position raises a broader question for the federation: what qualities should matter most when choosing Türkiye’s next manager? A candidate will need to bring a clear tactical approach, build trust with the players and establish a working plan that can survive beyond a short stretch of results.
The coach will also have to balance national-team objectives with the realities of the domestic season. Players arrive from different clubs and systems, leaving limited time to prepare together. That makes communication, efficient training and a shared understanding of roles particularly important.
A locally experienced manager could offer insight into the Turkish football landscape, but nationality alone would not guarantee success. The TFF will still need to assess candidates’ records, leadership skills, ability to develop players and readiness to work within a coherent long-term plan.
Güneş’s message is ultimately a call for the national team to be led by someone who understands the country’s football identity from the inside. As the federation weighs its options after Montella’s exit, the discussion is likely to focus on how best to combine that local connection with the tactical quality and stability required to move the team forward.