The All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointed Manolo Marquez as the Indian men’s national team head coach, after the sacking of Igor Stimac. (More Football News)
Four years ago, when a Spanish flight landed in India, many were not familiar with the name, Marquez. But it did not take long for the Spaniard to prove his worth with all the Indian Super League success.
Let us look at who is Manolo Marquez and what he will bring to the table.
Who is Manolo Marquez?
After representing clubs like CE Cerdanyola, UA Horta and many more, he retired at the age of 28. Talking about his managerial career, he started off with PB Anguera in Spain.
He was appointed as the coach of Badalona, and took them to the playoffs in his second season incharge.
The Spaniard was named as the Las Palmas head coach, and achieved promotion with the B team to the third tier. Later, he was appointed as the boss of the main La Liga side.
First Indian Assignment
Manolo Marquez’s first assignment as an Indian national team head coach will be during the September international window in Hyderabad at the Intercontinental Cup. India will face Syria and Mauritius.
“The target now is obviously to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup if we speak about competitions. The target is also to improve the level of the Indian players in this case, to reach the next step individually and as a team. We need to improve. I don't like to speak about the ranking because sometimes statistics don’t show the true picture,” Marquez was quoted as saying by AIFF.com when speaking about his ambitions.
ISL Experience
Manolo Marquez has been a part of the coaching set-up in India since 2020. He was at the helm at Hyderabad FC for a good three years from 2020 and 2023.
During his time, he led Hyderabad FC to their first ISL title in 2021-22.
He then moved to FC Goa ahead of the 2023-24 season and helped them finish third in the table before crashing out in the semi-finals stage to eventual champions, Mumbai City FC.
Conflict of Interest
However, the Manolo Marquez appointment is not all simple and straightforward. The Spaniard will also remain the head coach of the Indian Super League side FC Goa for the 2024-25 season, balancing both duties.
When asked about the same, the Spaniard was as convincing as ever, just like his successful spells in India thus far.
“It’s not the first time that someone’s done it, and it certainly won’t be the last. It’s all about managing the time, and that should not be a problem for me. When there is a break in the ISL, I will be with the national team. It’s a big challenge, but I’m passionate about it,” he added.
