The Spanish coach will manage FC Goa alongside the national side until the end of 2024-25 season
It hasn’t been a memorable year for the Indian national football team and its fans. The year began with the humiliation at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup followed by a series of disappointing performances in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers that denied India an opportunity to qualify for the third round of the qualifiers.
Sunil Chhetri’s retirement did not help either and to top it all, head coach Igor Stimac was sacked. But, then the All India Football Federation (AIFF) turned the tables around and handed Manolo Marquez the hot seat. Marquez is a proven winner and a fan favourite among Indian football fans. He knows the country in and out and is undoubtedly the perfect fit for the national team.
After being appointed as the national team manager, Manolo Marquez addressed the media for the first time. Here’s the full transcript from Manolo Marquez’s first press conference:
Opening Remarks
“I’m very grateful. Thank you to the Indian Football Federation for the confidence that they have given me to be the national team coach. This is my fifth season in India. If you told me five years ago, just when COVID started, that I will spend five years in India, maybe I would think that I was crazy. But the reality is that I told the same thing the other day. After Spain, obviously, after my country, obviously, India is the country where I spent more years and I feel that things would work in a good way. Obviously I was right that thought because we are here. I don’t want to forget to say thank you to FC Goa.
“Obviously not only all Indian Football Federation, the president and everyone who is involved but especially Ravi Pushkur, the CEO (of FC Goa) because they allowed me to achieve one of my dreams. A long time ago I was thinking maybe one day I would like to arrive at the national team and I’m here, then it’s only like this. I know that maybe one question will be about sharing the job between FC Goa. Maybe I can ask the questions and you’ll reply to me. But I think that is a good moment to be grateful to all the people who helped me in these very nice all these years in India,”
Coaching the Indian national team
“I don’t know, it’s more difficult. But yes, it’s true. Practically, more or less, you know that my English is not very good. I lack vocabulary still. Grammatically, I am a complete disaster. But I feel that from day one in my first training session at that moment in Hyderabad FC, my connection with the Indian players was very nice. It’s true that we spent two seasons in a bubble inside the hotel and then we spent a lot of time speaking. You can ask me where they are from, how many people live in the house of everyone, the traditions or the different kinds of culture in every state of my players. Then I, because maybe sometimes I feel that as a foreigner it’s not that India is coming to you, it’s you are coming to India.
“And then you have to know that you have to adapt to all the things, even in football. Not, okay, I play like this and I have to play like this. That’s all. No. You need to know how are the Indian players. In some moments you can do different things than in others. In all the world it’s the same. It’s not the same to train in Spain as in Thailand. Even in Spain, it’s not the same to train in Barcelona as in Madrid. Every place is different. I’m very happy and it’s a dream to be a national team coach in India for me,”
Coaching both FC Goa and the Indian national team
“Always there is a first time. No, about the first question, I think it’s not the first time, won’t be the last. With this situation, obviously it’s true that now I check, because it’s not common, this is true, but I check. It’s not common in the world, but there are big names like Rinus Michels or Herrera in Mexico. One, two years ago, Oscar Bruzon was in Bangladesh with the Bashundhara and the national team. In India, I think there were four or five coaches more for these situations.
“It’s true that it’s not very normal, but finally, there are two different situations, they are not in the same moment. If you play in the national team when there is a break in ISL, then you can share. Obviously both jobs, finally, are about professionalism and you won’t have any doubt about it because we will work very hard for the national team and now we are speaking,”
Availability of players
“I think that I spoke in a chat, I said in a chat with the federation that the first FIFA window is a tricky situation. Because as you said ISL starts later. Some teams are playing during the cup with the B team and other players are playing against the main teams playing against weak teams. There are no competitive games. Obviously we are in contact, and we are in touch with most of the clubs.
“We need to know about the injuries and it’s not easy when, for example, in October it will be easy, maybe, I don’t know how many games, but in ISL you can check which players are playing with, who is injured, who can play. It’s true that the first is more difficult, the first list is more difficult than the second, third, and fourth. But obviously, we will call players and we will put 11 players for sure in the first game,”
Filling the void left by Sunil Chhetri
“I feel that when there are changes, and I can give you one good example in Spain, when there are changes, it’s not only about the coach or some players or legends like Sunil in this case. It’s true that in ISL all the teams are playing with foreign strikers, but it’s true that there are some strikers who are playing in the flank. But there are some players that are strikers, but they are centre forward. But obviously, let’s see. And always when there are changes, I remember the example that I wanted to explain is in Spain in 2007, Luis Aragonés. He removed Raul Gonzalez, Raul from Real Madrid, a legend.
“And was not the same as Sunil, because Sunil announced that he would leave the team. At that moment, he received one million people criticizing how it’s possible because Raul was still not old. He won the 2008 Euro Cup and Spain won the 2010 World Cup and 2012 Euro Cup again.
Finally you have to achieve something to grow. I always put examples maybe I’m wrong but maybe in the next years, there will be kids, now kids in the future, throwing javelin because Neeraj Chopra is getting very good results in this aspect. I think I feel that when you are successful in one sport, usually in Spain for example, is tennis. When Rafael Nadal appeared, okay we had good players but suddenly now we have maybe, I don’t know how many Spanish players in the top 50 in the world. And suddenly we need to achieve something to grow Indian football in this case,”
Also Read: Who is Manolo Marquez, Indian football team’s new head coach?
Target
“It’s true that the World Cup is not there, but the Asian Cup is there. If we speak about competitions, we can speak about all competitions and not the Asian Cup or World Cup. But finally, the target is to improve the level of the Indian players in this case to arrive at the next step in terms of individually and as a team. I don’t like to speak about the ranking, about the statistics because sometimes the statistics are not true. But finally, the real target is to progress to be better as soon as possible. Everyone knows that it takes time. But, in this case, it depends on the attitude of everyone, players, federation, staff, coaches, blah blah blah. We need to go all of us in the same direction and then I am completely sure that we will get good results. We will have six, seven games before the first game in March.
“And finally we will see. I repeat again, the first is, let’s see what happened with the first FIFA window before ISL starts. But finally, it’s about to prepare. Finally it’s the same as in a team. It’s to find the correct people to grow as a team. I can explain, I speak too much, I can explain one example. When I was in one team, I won’t tell the name because some players, maybe they will think, okay, this old guy is speaking about me. In pre-season, we have four centre-backs and the two first centre-backs, one of them was in the B team, was two former seasons were training with the main team.
“And the other, everyone says this guy has a great future, but this guy plays individually and this guy plays individually and the third and the fourth They are now still in LaLiga for more than seven-eight years means that finally is to find the correct way to play as a teammate, don’t play only for yourself because this is a collective sport. Then you need to find your team is not about, okay, this player is good, okay, this player is good, but if he plays only for himself, I think he’s not the best in a national team, or in a team, or in a national team. Then we need to find the correct players, and this sometimes takes time, or sometimes you can find this group of players faster,”
Preparing a new striker with FC Goa
“We signed a good striker this year, a very young striker in FC1. I think that can be a good player, but obviously he’s 18 years old. We cannot speak now that this guy will be. But obviously, I understand the situation in the national team and I understand the situation in the ISL club, but I repeat again that for sure we will play with one or sometimes with two strikers in the national team.
Training programs
“It’s all, it’s everything. I think you have to find the correct players, means not only 11 players. You have to find all the group. You have to find, everyone needs to know which is the role in the team. And repeat again, go or everyone together in the same direction. This is not about, it’s a collective sport. It’s not about, finally, football is, the players are the main protagonists, but not only the 11 players.
We need a group of 20, 25 players or more, or let’s see, or depend in this case, in a national team, as in the national team. There are some players that now maybe even we don’t know what will happen and maybe in some months, they are performing very, very well. Obviously these players can go, but if you allow me, I can repeat again the same example.
“I know he asked me if I prefer Spain or India. It’s not about if I prefer this or this. It’s to check the example. Spain now won the Euro Cup with the same coach and with 70% of the players that they were champions with under 19 and under 21. And now they are champions with the main team. There is one thing in football that people are not aware of and it’s the continuity. The continuity is very, very important. If you are changing the players every day. It’s very difficult because finally you have to know the players but the players have to know your idea. If you are changing constantly, it’s a problem. But again, we need to find the correct group to play in the style that we want,”
Managing workload
“In the beginning, very stressful, but only because. Don’t laugh please because for example, the assistant coaches in FC Goa didn’t get the visa. I arrived the first here, all the work is for me at this moment. In FC Goa, fortunately for me, I have Guramanji with me. Now they arrived, I think that step by step because still I was not in the national team.
We didn’t play one single game but for sure in the next weeks will be easier to manage but it’s true that these first 10 days, one week, and two weeks the work is a lot, but it’s my passion then I know that this won’t be the problem I know if FC Goa is working in a national team no people will say I know I am 35-40 years in football I know that will always focus only in FC Goa it’s the opposite okay it’s focused only in the national team and no you can work and I know that we will work in a very professional way, but you cannot say nothing about the results. But we know that the work in the club and the national team will be there. This is no doubt 100%.
Ashish Rai’s selection
“Let’s see, Asish Rai played very well with me in Hyderabad for two seasons and we were champions in Hyderabad and twice consecutively more in Mohun Bagan. He is a right back and he has possibilities, but there are a lot of right-backs with possibilities with a good level and they can play in the national team,”
Also Read: What will be Manolo Marquez’s first games as Indian football team head coach?
Plan for untapped talent
“This is a chain that takes place. Sometimes we want to play with very young players immediately. I have experience, I trained B teams in Spain. Sorry because now it seems arrogant but a lot of these players are playing in top leagues, not only in Spain. This takes time. One player is mature at 17 and one player is not mature until he is 24-25. Then we need to find the correct moment to call this player. And about the other question, for me, one target more than for Indian football is that in the future, the national team coach has to be an Indian person. Because even though I love India, I can speak very well about India.
“But for sure the Indian coach, will know better how the country works, how are the people in every part of India. And this has to be a target for the next years. But finally, now we are speaking about this and replying to your question. We need to develop not only the main team, we need to develop. And developing doesn’t mean getting good results immediately. Finally, remember that for the big teams, it’s very nice to win the U17, U19, and so on, but finally these teams, the main target is to send good players, to provide some players for the national team.
“This is the moment, the real world, not about I have to win, I have to win, oh I won when I was under 13, I won this, I won that. Finally, these players that you have, every moment is different, every moment has different things in their life, then you need to know how to manage every situation and then when the player is in the top level, in this case in India, then you can consider that finally we did a good job with him,”
Selection of I-league players
“It’s the case, Edmund, for example. We can speak about Edmund because Edmund was in the last. I know more players were there, but only Edmund played as an I-League player in the last game. If they have the level, obviously, we will call them. But again, it would be better if these players played against the stronger opposition. Then always there will be cases where players in the second division, even (Marcelo) Bielsa called one player in Uruguay in the fourth division.
But he was in the national team and he didn’t play one single minute Because his level was not good enough then finally again we needed to play in front of a strong opposition and always there are cases in i-league and maybe because in ISL there are only 12 now, let’s see 13. In the beginning 8, then 10, 11, and 12, still not too many teams. Obviously, I-League players have possibilities, but the normal thing is more possibilities will be in ISL. I think that is normal. Everyone can understand this situation.
Game plan
“I think this is part of the salary of the coaches. In football, I think about more things in life. But in football, you can have one opinion, I can have another one, and both can be right. But our opinion has to be before the game. After the game, it is very easy. If you won the game, you are right. Okay, finally is about to be brave. Okay, now with social media, everyone can write what he wants. If you are focused on this, maybe better. Because I receive, I don’t know how many messages, not now, one day I was crazy and I said that in India there is not only space for cricket and I received maybe 1,000 private messages from cricket fans about, okay, you don’t know where you are.
“Of course, I know where I am. But there are different opinions, okay, I can. I respect that you like cricket, but I can tell you why I prefer football to cricket. But finally, it’s about replying to your question, is to try to do what you think. If you are thinking, this guy, if I don’t call him, he will be angry, or the press will write against me. If I don’t call this player, then maybe better go home. We need to work in a professional way. And then let’s see. I am very optimistic. I think that we will improve. I think that we will arrive at the next step. And that’s all. It takes time, yes. But I don’t like excuses or guilt. It’s about searching for solutions and going forward,”
Observation on Indian Football
“First of all, I have a very good relationship with Igor because my feeling is that all the coaches in ISL, one of the target is to help the national team. And I think that our good relationship is because, from Hyderabad and FC Goa, we always try to help the national team. In terms of opinions or feelings, everyone has different feelings or opinions. I can speak about my opinion. My opinion is that in five years, the level of Indian players will be better, but can be better and can improve faster. My feeling, I know that maybe, I think that everyone knows, but maybe some Indian players don’t like it, but my feeling is that they are very comfortable playing in ISL.
“I tell this to my players. They are very comfortable in India. You will grow when you play abroad. I’m not speaking in the top level in Europe, in the Premier League or La Liga, but if you go abroad and you play in one division where the opponents are in the same or better level than you, you will improve 100%. But I understand that life is very good for most of them here in ISL and they are very comfortable and it’s difficult that they try to go abroad like for example Sandesh tried to do it or did it in Croatia,”
Immediate priority
“It’s true that I know something but I need to know deeply other Indian players that I don’t know personally. First of all, we know. Obviously we will call good players, but they are people. My feeling, not in India, my feeling in a lot of countries that we are losing this spirit to play for your country. I think that we need to recover this in this case. You have to be angry, disappointed, and everything when you lose one game. And I think that this is the first step. Go a safe direction, play as a team, show playing with your qualities, but show that you want to play. I have a knock if I don’t go to the national team, better. No, this is not like this. I think that you need to go again to the next step and I feel that we will arrive at this point fast,”
Primary targets and expectations from AIFF
“My target in a club, not in a club, in a club, in a national team, in every situation, your target is to win the next game. In this situation that we are facing friendly games, we have more time to prepare for the really important games. But don’t forget that we need to be in the pot one in December when they draw for the last six slots for the Asian Cup.
But obviously the target has to be to find the club and to recover this aspect that I spoke about just now and that’s all about the Indian Football Federation. I don’t have to expect anything. They show me the confidence that they have in my personal or in our staff. First of all to say thank you and then I think that we need to work together. But the same as all the federations in the world.
Where do Indian players lack the most?
“They are improving but maybe the players that I coach, then maybe if they listen to this answer, they will love. I tell them if I have to write a book when I leave India, the title is easy, in football, Indian football, it’s the Indian mentality. We need to improve in this aspect, we need to know that we can, because they show that they’re stronger mentally. In football technique is very important, tactic is very important, physical condition is very important, but if this doesn’t work, you can do nothing in your life, not only in football.
“If the head doesn’t work, then we need to be convinced then, one example, that if you start one game and you are losing 2-0 in the minute 20, you have 70 minutes to turn the score. And this is possible. And this is mentality. Obviously, if you have a good mentality but never played football in your life, this is not possible. The national team, theoretically, will play the best players in the country. Then if the mentality is correct, we will get good things, good results,”
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