Manolo Marquez Appointed Head Coach of Indian Men’s National Football Team

New Delhi: Manolo Marquez, the current manager of FC Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL), has been officially appointed as the head coach of the Indian senior men’s national football team by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). This announcement comes nearly a month after Igor Stimac was dismissed following a five-year tenure.

Marquez, a native of Spain, took the reins at FC Goa in 2023 and is contracted with the club until 2025. According to the AIFF’s statement, he will manage both the Indian national team and FC Goa concurrently and will commit full-time to the national team once his tenure with the ISL club concludes.

The AIFF’s Executive Committee meeting, chaired by AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, was held at the Football House in New Delhi on Saturday, July 20, 2024. The meeting saw the presence of AIFF Vice President N.A. Haris, Treasurer Kipa Ajay, and several other prominent members of the committee.

The committee deliberated on the appointment of the new head coach for the senior men’s national team and selected Manolo Marquez for the job, effective immediately. Marquez will continue his role as the head coach of FC Goa’s first team during the 2024-25 season, handling both responsibilities before transitioning to the national coaching role on a full-time basis.

“We are delighted to welcome Marquez to this important role and are thankful to FC Goa for their generosity in releasing him for national duty,” stated AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey. “We look forward to working with Marquez in the years ahead. The AIFF, FC Goa, and Marquez will collaborate closely to ensure minimal impact between the two jobs and strive to achieve the best possible results for all involved.”

Responding to his appointment, Marquez said, “It’s an honor 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 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.”

At 55 years old, Manolo Marquez has extensive knowledge and experience in Indian football, particularly in coaching national team players, especially youngsters. He has been coaching in India since 2020, with previous stints at Hyderabad FC (2020-23) and currently at FC Goa. Marquez led Hyderabad FC to an ISL Cup victory in the 2021-22 season. Before his career in India, he had an extensive coaching career in Spain, including roles at Las Palmas, Espanyol B, and several other clubs.