Turkey-France to be played in Izmit instead of Istanbul

France will begin Zinedine Zidane’s tenure as head coach in Izmit rather than Istanbul, where Turkey-France is being held at the Kocaeli Stadium. The choice reflects the venue’s proximity to Turkey’s training base, while concerns over possible supporter unrest also surrounded the decision.

The stadium, home to Kocaelispor, was built in 2018 and holds 35,000 spectators. It is around one hour and 40 minutes by road east of Istanbul, whose larger venues include Fenerbahce’s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium and Galatasaray’s Rams Park, both capable of accommodating about 50,000 fans. The Izmit ground is expected to be full and highly vocal.

Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella has presented the location as part of a plan to use different stadiums and highlighted its closeness to the national team’s facilities in Riva. The venue has hosted Turkey previously. Local authorities were also concerned about a hostile reaction after the team’s disappointing World Cup campaign, which ended after defeats by Australia and Paraguay in the opening two matches. Turkey later beat the United States 3-2, but that result did not prevent elimination.

The playing surface adds another issue for both teams. It appeared heavy and in poor condition during Turkey’s final training session, although Montella said he had been assured it would be ready for the match.