The All India Football Federation (AIFF) officially appointed Manolo Marquez as the new head coach of the Indian national men’s football team on Saturday. The 55-year-old, currently in charge of FC Goa, will now also take on the national team role following Igor Stimac’s exit last month.
After the departure of Igor Stimac, and the retirement of Sunil Chhetri, Marquez’s appointment represents a new era for the Indian football team
During the 2024-25 season, Marquez will continue his role as the head coach of the first team at FC Goa, managing both responsibilities concurrently before taking on the national coaching role full-time.
The Spaniard brings extensive knowledge and experience of Indian football and has a track record of developing national team players, particularly youngsters. Many players from his Hyderabad FC team have been called up to the national team in recent years.
Marquez has been in India since 2020 when he was appointed as the head coach of Hyderabad FC. Under his three-year tenure, Hyderabad FC performed exceptionally well, finishing fifth in the 2020-21 season and second in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. He also led the team to their first silverware during the 2021-22 season when they lifted the Indian Super League (ISL) Cup defeating Kerala Blasters FC in the penalty shoot-out.
Taking charge of FC Goa ahead of the 2023-24 season, Marquez continued his successful run, leading the team to a third-place finish in the league and securing their first playoff appearance in two years.
Commenting on the development, AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey stated, “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.”
Responding to the appointment Manolo Marquez said, “It’s an honour for me to be the National Football Team coach of India, a country I consider my second home. India and its people are something I feel attached to and I feel a part of since I first came to this beautiful country. I want to do my best to bring success to the millions of fans we have. I am very grateful to FC Goa for allowing us the flexibility to help the national team during the coming season while I am still the club’s head coach. I’m grateful to the AIFF for this opportunity and we hope to do great things for football.”