The AIFF on Saturday, July 20 confirmed Manolo Marquez as the new Indian men’s senior team coach. Marquez, who is the current FC Goa coach, will succeed Igor Stimac who had been sacked after India crashing out of the World Cup qualifiers.
Marquez will continue his duties as the FC Goa and Indian football team coach concurrently throughout the 2024-25 season before his contract with the ISL side runs out. After this, Marquez will shift his full attention towards the national side.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey expressed his happiness at roping in the Spanish tactician for the job and also thanked FC Goa for their generosity in releasing him.
“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,” said Chaubey.
FC Goa would release a statement confirming the news and said that AIFF had requested them for Marquez’ expertise with the national team.
“Manolo Marquez to continue as Head Coach, takes charge of Blue Tigers as well…This significant development comes following requests from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for Coach Marquez to bring his expertise and leadership to the national team,” read the statement.
What Marquez said about the appointment
Marquez said it was an honour for him to be the new coach of the Indian team and said India is his second home. The new India head coach said he would do his best to bring success to the fans.
“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,” said Marquez.
Marquez has been coaching in India since 2020, leading two Indian Super League (ISL) clubs during his tenure. He began with Hyderabad FC, where he served from 2020 to 2023 and notably won the ISL Cup in the 2021-22 season. Following his success with Hyderabad, he moved to FC Goa in 2023, where he is currently the head coach.
Before his move to India, Marquez had a substantial coaching career in Spain. He managed Las Palmas in the top division as well as their B team. His resume also includes stints with Espanyol B, Badalona, Prat, and Europa, where he coached in Spain’s third division.