Football: Manolo Marquez considering stepping down as India Head Coach after June fixtures?
Why Marquez is considering stepping down as India's head coach
Manolo Marquez is believed to be considering stepping down as the head coach of the India national football team, less than a year into his tenure, having been handed the post in July 2024, while also serving as the head coach for FC Goa.
The report dropped just a few days after Marquez led the Gaurs to victory in the Kalinga Super Cup, beating Jamshedpur FC and confirming our football prediction, to become only the second club to win the competition twice.
The 56-year-old has endured a tough start to life as the Blue Tigers’ boss since his appointment, with reports suggesting that he has expressed dissatisfaction with the international team, especially the lack of continuity in the squad.
Another reason cited for Marquez's possible consideration to step down is that he is understood to be unsatisfied with the “state of affairs” at the All India Football Federation, albeit that the AIFF have denied any knowledge of his dissatisfaction.
Following India’s disappointing goalless draw against Bangladesh in their Asian Cup qualifying third-round match on March 25, Marquez was left evidently frustrated and made his thoughts known in his post-match press conference, saying:
"We need to improve a lot because I felt that the team was going forward in every FIFA window except the last. It's true that for the game against Bangladesh, we lost very important starting players. But it's not an excuse for our poor performance in that game.”
With that result, the Blue Tigers’ head coach has now won only one of his first six matches at the helm, which was a 3-0 victory over the Maldives in March, while the remaining four games ended in three draws (Mauritius, Vietnam and Malaysia) and a loss (Syria).
As it stands, Marquez is expected to remain with the team for their upcoming friendly against Thailand on June 4 before their AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong on June 10, and you can stay up to date with every minute of those matches using our football livescore tool.
Who could replace Marquez as India's head coach?
As mentioned, the AIFF has denied being made aware of Marquez’s dissatisfaction or plans to step down from his current role with the national team, as confirmed by their secretary general, M Satyanarayan, following the completion of the Super Cup.
Nevertheless, the federation will still need to find a suitable replacement if the 53-year-old tactician does indeed quit his role, and there is an understanding that Jamshedpur FC’s Khalid Jamil could be the manager handed the reins.
Jamil has been in the conversation to take charge of the India U-23 squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, following an excellent season with the Men of Steel, in which he led them back to the ISL Playoffs and the final of the Super Cup.
The 48-year-old was recently announced as the AIFF Men’s Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season at the AIFF annual awards after helping his side reach their first-ever Kalinga Super Cup this year.
