Vincenzo Montella addresses Roma rumors: “There’s always speculation in football.”

Speaking to the media prior to his team’s clash against Montenegro, Turkey national team coach Vincenzo Montella addressed rumors linking him to the Roma bench prior to Claudio Ranieri’s appointment last week.

Montella, 50, was reportedly among the final candidates picked to replace Ivan Juric after the latter was sacked eight days ago. Despite the speculation, the former Roma attacker made it clear that his focus remains on his current role with Turkey.

“There’s always a lot of speculation in football—it’s part of this profession. As I mentioned recently, I’m very happy to be here,” he told reporters.

“I feel loved here, even though I sometimes face criticism. If something like that were ever to happen, the first to know would be the president of the Federation.”

He added, “We have a great relationship and can talk about anything. Rest assured, I’m happy here. We discussed this matter weeks ago, and as far as I’m concerned, the topic is closed.”