Manolo Marquez has been appointed the new head coach of the Indian men's national football team. In a press release, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) stated that Marquez will also remain head coach of FC Goa for the whole of next season as well.
"During the 2024-25 season, Mr. Marquez will continue his role as the head coach of first team at FC Goa, handling both responsibilities concurrently before assuming the national coaching role on a full-time basis," the release stated.
Who is Manolo Marquez?
From Barcelona, Spain, Marquez has a stellar record of coaching in India. In his first stint, he transformed underdogs Hyderabad FC into ISL champions before he took over at Goa. Last season, Goa finished third in the league and reached the semifinals of the playoffs.
Before coming to India, Marquez had extensive experience coaching in Spain at clubs like Las Palmas (in La Liga), and Las Palmas B, Espanyol B, Badalona, Prat, Europa (third division).
What are the positives of this move?
Earlier, ESPN India had picked Marquez as a potential candidate to replace the outgoing Igor Stimac, but due to his club commitments, we'd kept him in the "pure fantasy" category - but it appears AIFF has worked out an arranged with Goa and Marquez.
Marquez's coaching acumen, and ability to get the best out of Indian youngsters, is unquestionable.
Any possible issues with the move?
It remains to be seen how Marquez will be able to balance the demands of coaching a national and club side. This is especially heightened by the crossroads the national team finds itself in post Sunil Chhetri's retirement - addressing it would take the kind of hands-on approach that Marquez specializes in. But his attention will also have to be split toward a Goa side going through a similar transition (after the sales of Brandon Fernandes and Noah Sadaoui). Juggling the two interests will take quite the effort.
While Goa will have the regular ISL season - as well as the Durand and Super Cups - to contend with, India will start in their next phase of AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, along with international friendlies and tournaments that are organised by the AIFF (like the Intercontinental Cup and the SAFF Cup).
What did they say?
Meanwhile, AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey said, "We are delighted to welcome Mr. Marquez to this important role and are also thankful to FC Goa for their generosity of releasing him for national duty. We look forward to working with Mr. Marquez in the years ahead. The AIFF, FC Goa, and Mr. Marquez will collaborate closely to ensure there is minimal impact between the two jobs and strive to achieve the best possible results for all involved."
On their part, FC Goa released a statement with their CEO Ravi Puskur saying, "We have always had the good of Indian football at our heart and have been keen supporters throughout. And we felt that this should be the step to take in the best interests of the Indian national team...", and added, "Manolo is a figure that commands respect in the Indian football fraternity - be it players, coaches, or other stakeholders. He is familiar with the Indian culture. I wish these qualities bring him and the national team success."