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India men’s football head coach Manolo Marquez and AIFF parted ways by ‘mutual agreement’.
Indian men’s football team head coach Manolo Marquez (AIFF)
India men’s football team head coach Manolo Marquez and the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) parted ways by mutual agreement on Wednesday.
The AIFF Executive Committee, during its meeting in the national capital, agreed to relieve Marquez after he expressed his desire to leave his spot with the semior side so despite one year still left in his contract.
“The AIFF and Manolo decided to mutually part ways without any financial implications to any of the two parties. So, he is relieved from being India coach. The AIFF will shortly advertise for the post of head coach,” AIFF Deputy Secretary General K Satyanarayana was quoted as saying by PTI.
This decision follows the Blue Tigers’ 0-1 defeat against Hong Kong on June 10 during their 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign.
“I still think that India have possibilities to qualify. Obviously, we are sad. The dressing room is like a funeral. But we’re still in the fight,” Manolo Marquez had said after the loss.
How Did Manolo Marquez Fare As India Coach?
During his tenure, India played eight matches and achieved only one victory — a 3-0 win over the Maldives in a friendly in March.
Marquez, who led Hyderabad FC to the Indian Super League (ISL) title in 2022 and won the Super Cup with FC Goa this year, assumed charge of the national team in June 2024.
The Spaniard worked in a dual role last year as he was also the head coach of FC Goa in the 2024-25 season.
Earlier this year, Marquez expressed his frustration with Indian football following a goalless draw against Bangladesh in March — a team ranked 56 places below India in the FIFA rankings.
“Practically, I don’t want to speak much. I am very angry, disappointed with everyone. I do not have words for this poor performance,” Marquez had said after the match in Shillong.
“Maybe this is the reality of Indian football, and the positive is that we didn’t concede a single goal with the chances they created,” he had added.
The state of Indian football has declined over the past year, evidenced by the team’s poor showing at the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar last year, where they exited in the group stage after losing all their matches.
India, which was ranked 99th in the FIFA rankings in July 2023, has now dropped to 127th, with no wins in competitive football since November 2023. The team’s last victory came against Kuwait under former head coach Igor Stimac, whom Marquez replaced.
The poor run of results prompted legend Sunil Chhetri to come out of retirement, but he has not been able to improve the Indian men’s football team’s fortunes.
(With inputs from Agencies)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha… Read More
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