The popular 63-year-old is coaching his country at a third European Championships after navigating a difficult qualifying group. But can he re-create his previous wonders on the big stage?
Previous Employments
It is still hard to believe this is not Terim’s first stint in charge of Turkey, nor his second – it is his third. His first spell started in 1993 and resulted in a maiden appearance at the Euros. Although they lost all three games at Euro ’96 and Terim departed afterwards, his popularity was secured and after stints with Galatasary, Fiorentina and AC Milan, he returned to the national team post in 2005. It was in this second stint he further wrote himself into Turkish football folklore, as his side reached the semi-finals despite only leading for a combined 13 minutes throughout the tournament. He returned to Galatasary again in 2009, before starting his third and current stint with the national team in 2013.
Euro 2016 – Confirmed Group D squads
Tactical Setup
Terim has built his reputation on bold, attacking sides with plenty of flair and creativity, yet not without discipline. In qualifying, Turkey conceded just nine goals, three of which came in the opening game of their campaign against Iceland. The manager favoured a 4-2-3-1 in qualifying, with the holding-midfield pair instructed to remain disciplined while the team’s talented attacking stocks were given licence to wreak havoc on opposing defences.
Serdar Aziz and Hakan Balta marshalled the miserly back four and their partnership at the heart of defence will have to be strong for Turkey to progress. In front of them, Ozan Tufan will be relied on to effectively shield the defence and dictate tempo. If they keep their shape, it will allow the likes of the classy Arda Turan and Hakan Calhanoglu to have free reign in wreaking havoc on opposing defences.
Conclusion
Terim has seen it all over his three spells in charge of the Turkish national team. While he copped criticism during qualifying, he has some quality players at his disposal, the trust of his team and the experience to navigate a tricky group and make the knockout stages.
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