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Football: AIFF on the search for new coach following Manolo Marquez’s departure

by Devesh Jaganath

image Football: AIFF on the search for new coach following Manolo Marquez’s departure
After a poor run of results, the AIFF have agreed to terminate Manolo Marquez’s tenure as head coach of the Indian national team just 12 months after the Spaniard was appointed to the role. Under Manolo’s guidance, the Blue Tigers won just one match - a 3-1 victory over the Maldives back in March.

Marquez and AIFF part ways following defeat to Hong Kong

India’s national football team have endured a tough year. They sacked former head coach Igor Stimac in June 2024, failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and their qualification for the Asian Cup 2027 is now hanging by a thread. 

Following the departure of Stimac last year, the AIFF opted to appoint Manolo Marquez as head coach of the national team for the foreseeable future, owing in large part to his record with FC Goa, with the team ending the last two seasons in the top three of the Indian Super League. 

However, the Spaniard struggled to make an impact as the Blue Tigers’ head coach, managing just a single win during his tenure, which came against the Maldives, who are ranked 164th in the world by FIFA, in a friendly match back in March. 

India’s latest setback came last month when they suffered a painful last-minute defeat to Hong Kong in the third round of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, and that result proved to be the final straw for Marquez and the AIFF. 

Prior to that defeat, the Blue Tigers had also lost to Afghanistan and drawn with Bangladesh, both teams that are ranked below them in the FIFA rankings. In addition, those losses saw India slip to 127th in the world rankings. 

Marquez’s departure is yet another setback for Indian football and comes only a short while after former national team captain Bhaichung Bhutia lambasted AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey for bringing football in India to its knees. 

AIFF clarifies Marquez’s departure was by mutual consent

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While there were several reports that suggested Marquez had been sacked from his role as India’s head coach, the AIFF took the time to clarify the situation, confirming that the Spaniard’s departure was by mutual consent. AIFF secretary M. Satyanarayanan said: 

“He did not resign. After discussions, it was mutually agreed that the AIFF and Manolo Marquez cannot continue as India (men) coach. Accordingly, he was let go.”

Following Marquez’s exit, the AIFF has now officially opened applications for the position of head coach of the Indian national team, and interested parties have been given until July 13 to submit their applications to the organisation. 

It is understood that interested candidates are required to possess at least 10 years of coaching experience at senior or elite youth levels, and that preference will be given to individuals who have previous World Cup or continental championship qualifier experience. 

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