Adana Demirspor coach Vincenzo Montella opened up about the difficulties of continuing football after the devastating earthquakes in Turkey.
Last month, a major earthquake struck the south-east of Turkey, causing the tragic death of tens of thousands and leaving millions more homeless.
Adana, a city not far from the worst-affected regions, was also impacted, making things even more personal for Montella, who has coached the club since September 2021. The Italian set up a humanitarian association to help those affected by the disaster.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Montella reflected on the devastating earthquake and spoke about the difficulties he’s seen since.
“The apocalypse. The players’ thoughts are always for the families left there. We are professionals, and we want to give some distraction, but it’s very difficult to play also because the league has become an obstacle course.
“Matches won by forfeit, stopping the tournament, it’s clear, however, that these are trifles compared to what has happened. Destroyed families, parents mourning their children, orphaned children.
“People who lost in a few minutes everything they had built up over a lifetime of sacrifices. I can assure you that the heartbreak is beyond imagination.”
The 48-year-old Montella has overseen 64 matches since joining Adana Demispor in 2021. In that time, he’s averaged 1.67 points per match and guided them to fifth in the current Super Lig season, just a point behind the European spots.
The Super Lig has now restarted after the suspension and the images of Besiktas fans throwing toys onto the pitch for affected children touched the hearts of many.