Conflict, but no interest: The Manolo Marquez, India and FC Goa triangle raises countless questions
For his first year in charge of the men’s national team, Marquez will be dividing his time as the chief coach of FC Goa in the Indian Super League.
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This article originally appeared in The Field’s newsletter, Game Points, on July 24, 2024. Sign up here to get the newsletter directly delivered to your inbox every week.
A month after the unceremonious sacking of Igor Stimac, the All India Football Federation on Saturday appointed Manolo Marquez as the head coach of the Indian senior men’s national team.
At first, Marquez appears to be a good pick for the post. He has spent four years in India as coach with various Indian Super League clubs.
The Spanish national first came to India as a head coach for Hyderabad FC in the 2020-’21 season. The following year, he led the Nizams to their first-ever Indian Super League title, before facing a semi-final exit in the 2022-’23 season.
In June 2023, he was roped in by FC Goa and he led the team to a third-place finish in the league after starting the season with a 12-match unbeaten run.
Marquez, appointed as the Indian coach on a three-year deal, has an impressive CV in the country and has a good record in grooming younger players. But there’s a catch.
For the first year in his three-year contract as the national team’s head coach – the 2024-’25 season – the 55-year-old from Barcelona will not be associated with the Indian national team...
