Controversy Swirls Around Montella; Worrisome Chants from Turkish Fans Before Halftime

“Resign, resign”: That was the chant directed at head coach Vincenzo Montella by Turkish fans, with the home team already trailing 3-0 against Italy after just 27 minutes in Bursa, on the second matchday of the Nations League.

The Azzurri took control of the match early on thanks to goals by Bastoni and Frattesi, before debutant Kayode sealed the hat trick. Italy’s overwhelming start sparked a wave of protests from Turkish fans against the head coach, who was already in the eye of the storm following the World Cup.

Pio and Sebastiano Esposito started together from the opening minute for Italy against Turkey. This historic event allowed the two brothers to enter the national team’s record books and break a 26-year-old record.

The last time two brothers had played in the same match for Italy was on November 15, 2000, in a friendly against England at the Delle Alpi Stadium in Turin, which the Azzurri won 1-0 thanks to a goal by Gennaro Gattuso. On that occasion, Simone Inzaghi entered the game in the 61st minute, while Filippo Inzaghi was substituted in the 72nd minute. The two brothers were thus on the field at the same time for eleven minutes—the last such stretch played by a pair of brothers in the same national team match.

Now the record passes to the Esposito brothers. Pio, born in 2005 and a forward for Inter, and Sebastiano, born in 2002 and recently transferred to Sassuolo, had already been called up together to the Under-21 team in 2025. However, the match against Turkey marked their simultaneous debut in the starting lineup for the senior national team.

To find the last pair of brothers who started together from the beginning, you have to go all the way back 111 years. The last were Aldo and Luigi Cevenini, who both started on January 31, 1915, in the match against Switzerland.