New Delhi: All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced Manolo Marquez as the new head coach of the Indian mens senior football team on Saturday. Marquez, who is coaching FC Goa, will take over from Igor Stimac, who was dismissed after Indias disappointing exit from the World Cup qualifiers. Dual role for MarquezMarquez will continue to fulfill his responsibilities as FC Goas head coach while simultaneously, he will lead the Indian national team throughout the 2024-25 season. His contract with FC Goa runs out at the end of this period. After that, he will dedicate his own fate.On the latest development, AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, We are delighted to welcome Mr. Marquez to this important role and are also thankful to FC Goa for their generosity. We look forward to working with Mr. Marquez in the years ahead. 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.Manolo Marquez appointed head coach of Senior Mens National Team!Read full details here 👉🏻 https://t.co/iUUMAwB8vk#IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/Ni9beyul8B— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) July 20, 2024Meanwhile, FC Goa confirmed the news in a statement. Manolo Marquez to continue as Head Coach, takes charge of Blue Tigers as well... This significant development comes following requests from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for Coach Marquez to bring his expertise and leadership to the national team, read the statement.FC Goa Statement: Manolo Marquez to continue as Head Coach, takes charge of Blue Tigers as well.FC Goa Head Coach, Manolo Marquez will also now take charge of the Indian National Senior Mens Football Team while concurrently leading the charge for the Gaurs in the coming… pic.twitter.com/dMUusILh6l— FC Goa (@FCGoaOfficial) July 20, 2024Who is Manolo MarquezManolo Marquez is a Spanish football manager from Barcelona, who has extensive experience in Spanish football, particularly in Catalonia and the Canary Islands. He has managed several notable clubs, including Las Palmas and Espanyol B. Before moving to India, he also had a stint in Croatia and Thailand. Marquezs coaching journey in IndiaMarquez has been a part of Indian football since 2020. He led two Indian Super League (ISL) clubs during his tenure. He started with Hyderabad FC, where he coached from 2020 to 2023 and won the ISL Cup in the 2021-22 season. After his success with Hyderabad, he joined FC Goa in 2023 and is currently serving as their head coach.What has Marquez said after his appointment Marquez expressed his honor at being appointed as the new coach of the Indian team. He said, Its an honor 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.Furthermore, he said, 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 clubs head coach. Im grateful to the AIFF for this opportunity and we hope to do great things for football.
