The All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointed Indian Super League (ISL) Trophy winning coach Manolo Marquez as the head coach of the Indian men’s team to succeed Igor Stimac, on Saturday.
Marquez is currently the head coach of ISL side FC Goa, which he joined in 2023, and will continue his role at the club till 2025, while also shouldering the responsibility of the National team.
“We have always had the good of Indian football at our heart and have been keen supporters throughout. And we felt that this should be the step to take in the best interests of the Indian national team. We’ve always strived to be a club that allows individuals within our organisation to strive for greater heights and this is in line with that ideology,” Ravi Puskur, FC Goa’s CEO, said in a statement.
Marquez previously worked with Hyderabad FC for three seasons, where he won the club’s first ISL trophy in 2022. Besides from winning the cup, he led the club to two runner-up finishes in the ISL Shield race.
“We are delighted to welcome Mr. Marquez to this important role and are also thankful to FC Goa for their generosity of releasing him for national duty. We look forward to working with Mr. Marquez in the years ahead,” Kalyan Chaubey, the president of the AIFF said.
The AIFF, FC Goa, and Mr. Marquez will collaborate closely to ensure there is minimal impact between the two jobs and strive to achieve the best possible results for all involved.”
The AIFF technical committee invited applications for the role last month after the federation sacked Igor Stimac in the aftermath of the nation’s exit from the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in the second round.
READ | Marquez: If I am the national team coach, I would like more time to prepare for big tournaments
Marquez also has a track record in developing young players in the ISL, who have gone on to play for the national team in recent years.
Mohammed Yasir, Liston Colaco, Akash Mishra, Chinglesana Singh, Nikhil Poojary and Jay Gupta are some of the players, who either made their debuts or made comebacks into the national team, with Marquez as their coach in club football.
“It’s an honour 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 I 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.” Marquez said.
“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,” he added.
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