On Saturday, July 20, the AIFF appointed Manolo Marquez as the new coach of the Indian men’s senior team. Marquez, the current FC Goa coach, will succeed Igor Stimac, who was fired after India was knocked out of the World Cup qualifiers.
Marquez to continue coaching both FC Goa and Indian team
Marquez will continue to coach both FC Goa and the Indian football team throughout the 2024-25 season until his contract with the ISL expires. Following this, Marquez will devote his full concentration to the national team.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey expressed his delight at securing the Spanish strategist for the job and praised FC Goa for their kindness in releasing him.
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“We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Marquez to this crucial job and grateful to FC Goa for their generosity in releasing him for national duty. We look forward to working with Mr. Marquez in the coming years. The AIFF, FC Goa, and Mr. Marquez will work closely together to minimize the impact of the two tasks and achieve the best possible outcomes for all parties involved,” Chaubey stated.
Honoured to coach Team India, says Marquez
Marquez stated that it is an honour for him to be the Indian team’s new coach and that India is his second home. The new India head coach stated that he would do his best to bring success to the fans.
“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,” said Marquez.
