Manolo Marquez: Future of Indian football lies in the teams to come, not the current national team

While talking to Sportstar about his five years in India, he highlighted the quality of the ISL, the challenges of his dual role, and more.

In August 2024, Manolo Marquez embarked on the difficult task of coaching the Indian senior national team following Igor Stimac’s exit.  | Photo Credit: Shibu Preman/FSDL

Five years ago, Manolo Marquez came to India from Barcelona during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic to take on the Indian Super League (ISL) challenge.

He recalls the ‘chaos’ at Mumbai airport back then, which shocked him, but after five successful seasons filled with more highs than lows, the Spaniard now feels at home.

In August, Marquez also embarked on the difficult task of coaching the senior national team following Igor Stimac’s exit. He will juggle both his FC Goa and India team duties until the end of the 2024-25 season.

While talking to Sportstar about his five years in India, he highlighted the quality of the ISL, the challenges of his dual role, and more.

This is your fifth season in the ISL. Is this season shaping up to be the most competitive yet?

Yes, in terms of excitement, because all teams are very equal. In my previous four seasons, some teams always won. Obviously, Mohun Bagan and Mumbai are the top two teams. But in terms of competitiveness, yes, it is. However, those who follow the game will find it hard to agree on the quality, which, I think, was better in previous seasons.

Why do you think the quality has dropped?

I feel that the foreigners were better in the previous seasons. When you train with better players, your level increases, and you improve a lot. You can also improve if the league is very competitive. I think the level of some coaches [this year] is very high, very good. On that note, you could say it’s very competitive, but on the other hand, I think the quality of the foreigners could be better.

Did you ever imagine staying this long when you first came to Goa in 2020, entering a bio-bubble, and now becoming the national team manager?

Sometimes I joke about this because I remember my first flight from Barcelona, reaching Mumbai, and the chaos at the airport — it was crazy. I told myself, “What are you doing here?”

And now, in my fifth season, I am the national team coach and also the coach of one of the biggest clubs in India. I’ve never spent five years in any country other than my own. It’s [India is] like my second country.I think everyone treats me better than I deserve. I am very satisfied and will remember this experience all my life. I hope for more years here.

Speaking of the national team, is this the most challenging season for you? Obviously, the dual role brings the pressure of two jobs, but in terms of scrutiny, do you feel there are more eyes on you right now?

Everyone’s opinion can be different. I think I need to be calmer and say simple things because I tend to talk a lot. But sometimes when you speak the truth or describe reality, people will say he cannot manage both jobs.

If Goa is working, [then they will say] he is not focusing on the national team, or if it’s the opposite, or if I am struggling at both jobs. Ultimately, you have to focus on the present.

Obviously, I spend more time with my club, FC Goa. Practically, I don’t miss many training sessions while with the national team. One thing that happens in national teams around the world is that they don’t have much time for training. So, I can manage both jobs. You can never promise good results, but you can promise a lot of effort and professionalism.

I think I can handle it, but I am not stupid — it’s not normal to share [two jobs]. [But] it’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last.

I can do it because of my knowledge of Indian football and Indian players. I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but it’s there. After five seasons, I know all the players in the ISL and all the Indian players in the I-League.

Since it’s an unusual situation, can you talk about any unique challenges you have faced in these two months trying to juggle these two jobs?

I can tell you that I worked more than one job when I was young, and not just in football. In football, I remember training both the main team at one club and an Under-13 or Under-14 team. But it’s not the same.

The publicity is very big because you’re coaching both a national team and a club. If people talk about time, you do have enough time to manage both jobs correctly. Whether the results are good or not, that’s different.

You previously mentioned in an interview with Sportstar that you wanted a clear fixture plan months in advance before the new season begins. Now there is uncertainty over the Super Cup and the additional AFC slot on offer.

This is the main problem in India, unfortunately. For me, it’s very good in one way — my capacity to improvise is now incredible. But I think India needs to solve this problem. When you arrive in India, you need to know everything. For example, this year, there was uncertainty over when the I-League would start. But this shouldn’t happen. You need to know everything beforehand because preparation is very important.

Manolo Marquez came to India in 2020 when he joined Hyderabad FC during the coronavirus pandemic. | Photo Credit: Faheem Hussain

I remember my first year in 2020 — I was in quarantine in my room, and they said the ISL would start in two weeks. Then they said, “No, it starts in three weeks.” It’s not the same. The difference between two weeks and three weeks is the [duration in] pre-season. A single week of pre-season can be very important. If you have seven or 11 weeks, you can manage. But if you only have two or three weeks, the planning is completely different. I think India needs to take a step forward because it’s very important to know what will happen in the next [few months] in order to prepare for everything.

You have also spoken about Indian players being comfortable in India and not wanting to go abroad to play in other leagues. Have any players you’ve worked with approached you about pathways to get there?

I feel that this is more relevant to the next generation than the current one. Players aged 26-28 find it difficult to go abroad. There are very good young players in India between 17 and 21, which is a good age to go abroad because they have more opportunities to join academies rather than main teams. Some Indian players could play abroad. I don’t know at which level, not in the top leagues, but they are indeed very comfortable here. Sometimes people get angry when I talk about this, but it’s the reality.

Why are people angry about this?

They say, “You’re always speaking about this.” The salaries of Indian players are fantastic for them. If I were in their situation, I’d probably do the same. I’d stay here because it’s home, with a good salary. Practically, I’ve secured my life, and that’s okay. You could say it’s a lack of ambition or just about the money, which is very important, but when the money is enough, I can try to go abroad. I can tell you, obviously, I won’t tell you the names; some players in the national team and some at my clubs, FC Goa and Hyderabad FC before that, wanted to go abroad. But it’s not easy. It’s a pity because, when you play abroad and train with better players, your level improves. That’s very good for you, for your future club, and for the national team. I don’t like, for example, national teams that play with 13 players because their father or grandfather was from there...

Do you mean the PIO (Persons of Indian Origin) system? Are you not in favour of it?

No, no, I am in favour. But is it the same rule for everyone? For some teams, it’s applicable, but for others, it’s not. This is a problem for each country, not FIFA’s. I don’t like playing against Syria, for example, which has players who have never been to Syria. But the rules are what they are.

Syria recently beat India 3-0 in the Intercontinetal Cup, which was Marquez’s second game with the national team. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL/The Hindu

I understand that if India, with a population of 1.6 billion, accepts dual nationality, the problems would be even more. But in football, that is part of the challenge. The difference will be greater if they don’t accept this. If you want to play only with Indian players, you have to build from the grassroots, especially if you want to, at least, reach the same level as other countries. But it’s not an excuse or criticism; it’s the reality.

With FC Goa, you have a particular way you want to play, with players you can recruit from both India and abroad. But with the national team, the pool is limited, with different profiles of players. So how do you adapt your style?

Sometimes, at FC Goa, we play 4-2-3-1, and in another club, it might be 4-4-2 or three centre-backs, like last time with the national team. You have to adapt based on the players that you have or if the opponent is better or worse than you. Finally, the important thing is that the players understand what you’re explaining more than the system itself.

In the ISL, more or less all teams can beat each other. But in the international circuit, it’s easier to beat teams ranked below your national team and very difficult to beat teams ranked higher because the gap is too much. But in football, anything can happen, and the goal is to improve. When they chose me as the national coach, I knew perfectly well that the time for training sessions would not be a lot, but I think we showed in our last game in Vietnam that even with a few days, the improvement can be substantial.

Do you have any realistic goals in mind for the national team?

[It’s] Difficult [to say]. I know everyone wants India to qualify for the World Cup, but I don’t think that’s the right thing to talk about at the moment. That’s the last part of the chain. When everyone asks me about Indian football, I tell them the ISL is the image of Indian football, but it’s the last part of the chain. You need to start at the grassroots and develop the national teams. There are very, very good players at U-17 and U-20 levels. I am from Spain, where football is a religion. The team that won the European Championship had the same coach (Luis de la Fuente), who won the Euros with the U-19 (2015) and U-21 sides (2019). He then won the senior title with 70–80 per cent of the same players who came through the youth squads.

Marquez highlighted Spain’s recent European Championship success under Luis de la Fuente, who progressed through the system with the U-17 and U-21 teams. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

It’s not something you can snap your fingers at and say we now have a good group of Indian players who will qualify [for the World Cup]. We need to work from the grassroots, going through U-15, U-17 and U-19, and then arrive at the senior team.

The reality now is we have the current national team players, but it’s more important to speak about those who will arrive in the future. I am very happy with the players who are here now, and their attitude is excellent in training.

But the future of Indian football lies in the teams to come, not the current national team.

(The interview was conducted on the eve of FC Goa’s ISL home game against Mumbai City FC)