The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has appointed Spanish coach Manolo Marquez as the new head coach of the men’s national football team. This decision comes despite the federation grappling with significant financial challenges.
Marquez emerged as the preferred candidate over fellow Spaniard Antonio López Habas and India’s own Sanjoy Sen, following the departure of former coach Igor Stimac.
The 55-year-old Marquez is famous for his success in Indian football, particularly for leading Hyderabad FC to the Indian Super League (ISL) Shield title in the 2021-22 season, and subsequently guiding FC Goa to a strong third-place finish in the 2023-24 season.
He will begin his tenure with the Indian national team with an initial three-year contract.
FC Goa’s Manolo Marquez is set to become the Indian men’s national team head coach. 👀🇮🇳
According to Sayan Mukherjee from News 9, the Spaniard will sign a 3-year contract with the option to continue with FC Goa for the 2024-25 season. 🖊️#IndianFootball⚽️ | 📸: FSDL pic.twitter.com/eB1XkwckYR
— The Bridge Football (@bridge_football) July 20, 2024
Notably, he will juggle two roles; he will continue as head coach of FC Goa for the 2024-25 season before fully transitioning to his national team role. This arrangement will significantly ease the financial burden on the AIFF.
Responding to the appointment Marquez said, “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. 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.”
The federation’s priority was to appoint a coach familiar with the current dynamics of Indian football, a criterion Marquez met comprehensively.
The appointment followed the dismissal of Stimac, who failed to steer the team to the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Despite the financial and legal challenges, the AIFF remains hopeful that Marquez’s appointment will bring stability and success to Indian football. His familiarity with Indian football’s structure and proven track record is seen as a vital asset in the quest to elevate the national team’s performance on the international stage.