After almost two years, Stefan Kuntz has been fired as Turkey’s national football coach. The TFF association separated from the 1996 European champions on Wednesday. “We would like to thank Mr. Stefan Kuntz for his contribution to our national football team and wish him much success in his future life,” said the statement on the association’s website.
This was preceded by an “evaluation meeting” between the 60-year-old and the top of the association. On Sunday, Turkish media had already reported unanimously that the former U21 coach of the German Football Association (DFB) had left, but the Turkish association rejected these reports as “not true”.
Kuntz was recently considered a candidate for the national coaching position and thus as the successor to the dismissed Hansi Flick. The DFB’s choice fell on Julian Nagelsmann, even if confirmation is still pending. On Tuesday last week, Turkey lost 2-4 against Japan, it was Kuntz’s fifth defeat in his 20th international match with Turkey.
But the 60-year-old has been criticized for a long time. He missed the World Cup ticket for Qatar in the play-offs last year, but in qualifying for the European Championships in his homeland he was on track as second in Group D behind third-placed Croatia.