Will Manolo Marquez stick with FC Goa, give up as India head coach?
Kolkata: Once they lifted him within the air in pouring rain in Bhubaneswar, it felt like FC Goa had been giving Manolo Marquez a becoming farewell. The Indian soccer season had ended with the Kalinga Tremendous Cup ultimate on Saturday that means the Spaniard not had the twin accountability of teaching membership and nation.
Marquez, 56, is meant to be in control of solely the India senior males’s nationwide workforce from June 1. It’s not clear for the way lengthy although. His contract with the All India Soccer Federation (AIFF) is until Could 31, 2026, with provision for a one-year extension. However soccer officers aren’t certain he’ll see out the contract.
“I choose to not converse earlier than the Hong Kong tie,” stated Marquez in a WhatsApp message to HT on Monday. AIFF stated Marquez has not spoken about stepping down.
After FC Goa beat Jamshedpur FC 3-0 within the Tremendous Cup ultimate, former AIFF secretary-general Shaji Prabhakaran, whereas congratulating the winners on X, ended his publish saying: “Will Manolo signal an extension with FC Goa?”
The query about Marquez’s future with the India workforce gathered momentum after the 0-0 draw towards Bangladesh in Shillong on March 25, officers advised HT. Visibly upset on the post-match media convention, Marquez had described the efficiency as “very, very poor”.
“Let’s say that was the tipping level,” stated an ISL membership official. “I can let you know he’s not going to remain,” stated the president of a state affiliation. “He’ll renew with FC Goa. They’ve paused their seek for a coach,” stated an official with one other state affiliation. Not one of the three wished to be named given the delicate nature of the problem.
All of them stated Marquez was not completely happy. The membership official spoke of a tiff with workforce employees in Shillong over logistics. The state affiliation official, who stated Marquez was not eager on staying, talked about “the stress of cellphone calls concerning workforce choice.”
On the press convention following the ultimate in Bhubaneswar, Marquez was requested to touch upon the development in Indian gamers. He stated: “In Spain, within the Seventies and 80s, solely Spanish gamers performed within the cup match. I would love one cup with solely Indian gamers. I spoke about it however they (AIFF) did utterly the alternative.”
At that press convention, Marquez additionally stated FC Goa had been “one of the best membership in India when it comes to organisation” and that it had been a “dream to coach a workforce like this”.
Requested about FC Goa taking part in in Asia – they’re eligible for the 2025-26 Asian Champions League qualifier and, if they can’t make the primary spherical, the AFC Problem League – he stated: “Continuity could be very, crucial…. To destroy this group could be a giant mistake.”
Having been a part of the nationwide workforce for practically one yr, Marquez has additionally advised individuals near him that he most well-liked the every day pleasure that working at a membership supplies, stated the membership official.
The officers quoted above stated Marquez may step down this yr, perhaps even after the June 10 qualifier towards Hong Kong. There is no such thing as a FIFA window until September and India’s subsequent Asian Cup qualifier after that’s towards Singapore on October 9, so it’ll give AIFF time to get a alternative, the officers stated talking individually.
“I’ve not heard something about this,” AIFF deputy secretary-general Satyanarayan M stated over the cellphone from New Delhi on Monday when requested if Marquez may go away. “We have now not had any dialogue on this. We’re specializing in the June tenth recreation towards Hong Kong and the pleasant towards Thailand within the lead-up to that match.”
Satyanarayan, who’s in control of the nationwide groups, stated a preparatory camp underneath Marquez will begin in Kolkata on Could 18.
Requested about Marquez being sad with how issues had been with the nationwide workforce, Satyanarayan stated: “He’s speculated to file a report on the camp and the match in Shillong.”
FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur stated: “Marquez has a contract solely with the nationwide workforce from June 1, 2025. And until that contract shouldn’t be energetic, our understanding is that he’s not obtainable.” Talking over the cellphone from Goa on Monday, Puskur additionally stated if Marquez was obtainable, “solely a idiot on this nation would flip down the prospect to have him as coach.”
Marquez’s contract with AIFF is value roughly $407,000 (approx ₹3.7 crore now) however ought to he go away, it might be the second time in his profession that he could be strolling away from a high job. As Las Palmas head coach in La Liga in 2017-18 changing Quique Setién (then at Actual Betis, he would go on to go Barcelona and Villarreal) Marquez give up after six matches although his contract was for the season. This, when the rule in Spain was that he wouldn’t be allowed to teach within the nation that season.
