Manolo Marquez's Vision to Elevate Indian Football

Manolo Marquez, appointed as the Indian football team's head coach, envisions a future where an Indian coach leads the team for better cultural understanding. Marquez will manage both FC Goa and the national team until 2025 and aims to prepare India for the 2027 Asian Cup. He emphasizes the need for Indian players to gain international experience.

Becoming the Indian football team head coach is a 'dream come true' for Manolo Marquez, but the Spaniard candidly expressed that it would be better if an Indian manages the national side in future.

The 55-year-old Marquez was appointed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) as national men's team head coach in place of Igor Stimac for a tenure of three years last month.

During the 2024-25 season, Marquez will also continue his role as FC Goa head coach, managing both club and national team responsibilities concurrently. He will then assume the Indian team's coaching role full-time from 2025 onwards.

'Apart from Spain, India is the country where I have spent the most number of years. Long time ago, I thought I would like to be a national team head coach and I am here. It is a dream come true,' Marquez said while addressing his first press conference after his appointment as head coach.

'In the future, the national team coach has to be an Indian because he will know better how the country works, knows the people of different parts of India. So, this has to be the target of Indian football in the coming years,' he added.

Marquez has been in India since 2020, having had three successful seasons with Hyderabad FC and another season (2023-24) with FC Goa. His first international assignment will be the Intercontinental Cup hosted by India in Hyderabad from September 3-9. Syria and Mauritius are the other two teams in the tournament.

After that, he will lead the team at the VFF Tri-Nation Series in Vietnam from October 9-15, with Lebanon, Vietnam, and India as the competing teams. Both tournaments fall within the FIFA international match window.

The national camp for the Intercontinental Cup is set to start from August 30 or 31.

On the possible conflict of interest, as he will be India head coach and FC Goa manager simultaneously till the end of the 2024-25 season, Marquez said, 'It's not a normal situation, no doubt, but it's not the first time and won't be the last time regarding this situation. At the international level, there have been many cases like this, and I am told it is not uncommon in India either.'

'The national team plays when there is no ISL. You won't have any doubt that we will work very hard for the national team.'

Having failed to qualify for the third round of the joint 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers under Stimac, the team will start its qualifying round for the 2027 Asian Cup from March next year.

'The target is to improve the level of Indian football individually and as a team. No doubt, that will not be immediate but will take time,' said Marquez. 'Our long-term goal is to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup. We aim to win every match and prepare adequately for the Asian Cup qualifiers.'

'The best players must play at the highest level, against stronger opponents. That’s how you grow as a player. Therefore, more Indian players should play abroad, even in lower division leagues, to gain experience,' Marquez advised.

Marquez also mentioned he will consider I-League players for the national team if they meet requisite standards.

'The key improvement needed is in the mentality of the players. We need to develop a stronger mindset to achieve good results. I am optimistic Indian football will improve step by step to reach the desired level,' he said.