For Semih Kilicsoy, twenty years old and with thighs like two pillars, the Turkey coach has been called upon. Not the Under-21 team, of which Kilicsoy is captain. Vincenzo Montella, the coach of the senior national team, has arrived in Assemini to get a close-up look at the new phenomenon of Turkish football, Cagliari's top scorer this season. He has expressed his affection, respect, congratulations, and an invitation to continue, not to stop at just four goals.
This morning, the Turkey coach, in charge since the summer of 2023, arrived at the CRAI Sport Center, accompanied by his assistant, Daniele Russo. They were welcomed by the Rossoblu's sporting director, Guido Angelozzi, and sporting secretary Matteo Stagno. After a tour of the training center, Montella and Russo watched the first team's training session from the sidelines. Then, at the end of the session, they hugged and chatted with Fabio Pisacane and, especially, Kilicsoy.
Kilicsoy has already scored 25 goals for Turkey's various youth national teams. In Italy, he's establishing himself as one of the league's rising strikers, and it was inevitable that Montella, ahead of his national team's upcoming fixtures, would make a trip to Sardinia to see the youngster's development firsthand.
Releasing Kilicsoy from Beşiktaş will cost around €12 million, a figure that currently doesn't seem out of the market after the striker's impressive performances. This deal would allow Cagliari to retain a rising player with a season of acclimatization behind him. Or, as in the cases of Piccoli and Zortea, a sensational transfer deal combining a buyout and a sale.
Montella and Kilicsoy spent a long time talking on the sidelines, even in the company of coach Pisacane. The fact that the coach came all the way to Assemini shows just how much attention there is for the Cagliari striker. Turkey, like Italy, will be competing in the playoffs in March to secure a spot in the World Cup.