Latest news with #ManoloMarquez
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
India starts hunt for new coach as Manolo quits after mutual agreement with AIFF
Manolo Marquez, who did a dual job last season, also coaching FC Goa, took charge of the national team in July last year Panaji: Manolo Marquez's tenure as coach of the national football team ended after just eight games as the Spanish coach and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) mutually decided to part ways. The decision was endorsed during the AIFF executive committee meeting in the Capital on Wednesday. Under Manolo's watch, India won just one international friendly against Maldives, while losing both games – Thailand and Hong Kong – as full-time coach since last month. The coach had two years left on his existing contract. 'We are parting ways without any financial implication to either of the two parties,' AIFF deputy secretary general Satyanarayan M told TOI. 'We will now advertise for a new national team coach, inviting applications from those interested in the job.' When AIFF followed a similar process last year following the sacking of Igor Stimac, it received 291 applications, which included 100 with UEFA Pro License diplomas, 20 with Asia's highest coaching degree and three with from South America. Facing a cash crunch, the AIFF eventually decided to rope in Manolo as coach of club-and-country. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Зачем на ночь сжигают лавровый лист? Undo by Taboola by Taboola Some members, including those in the technical committee, are now in favour of an Indian as coach with Khalid Jamil and Sanjoy Sen among the two names on top of that list. Sources though said no decision has been if the next coach will be an Indian or foreigner. 'We will need someone with experience of Indian football,' said one member who attended the meeting. 'It's never easy for a foreign coach to understand the country, its culture and the mindset. He will need at least six months (to settle down), and by that time the crucial AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifying campaign would have been decided.' India are at the bottom of the four-team group with just a point from the first two games. Only the group winners qualify for the continental showpiece in Saudi Arabia. Manolo, who did a dual job last season, also coaching FC Goa , took charge of the national team in July last year. But while expectations were high, given his stint with FC Goa and Hyderabad FC, where he won the ISL trophy and developed several players, his record as national team coach left a lot to be desired. His eight games in-charge includes one win, four draws and three losses, two of them last month as India's full-time coach. This is the second time that Manolo has walked away from a top job. In 2017, as coach of Las Palmas in the La Liga, the Spaniard quit after just six matches though his contract was till the end of the season. 'It was a nice experience, a short one, but I realized that this was not the correct moment to be there,' Manolo had told TOI during a Townhall early this year. 'The dressing room was very dangerous. Now, since it's been some years, I can laugh about this but in those moments, I could not sleep.' Manolo has not yet spoken why he was reluctant to continue with the national team. Meanwhile, the executive committee proposed to increase match time for Indian players, particularly strikers, by reducing the number of foreign players in both leagues. 'In addition, a feasibility study will be conducted to explore the possibility of fielding an under-23 national team probables in the I-League, as part of long-term preparations for the Asian Games,' the AIFF said in a statement.
India Gazette
3 hours ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
AIFF Technical Committee recommends appointment of new Indian men's head coach, collectively decide on Marquez' termination
New Delhi [India], July 2 (ANI): The All India Football Federation (AIFF) Technical Committee (TC), chaired by former India captain IM Vijayan, on Tuesday recommended to the Executive Committee that a new head coach be appointed for the Senior Men's National Team through an open application process. The members collectively decided on the mutual termination of Head Coach Manolo Marquez's contract. A new advertisement will be floated, inviting applications for the post. The Executive Committee, chaired by AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, met on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, with TC Deputy Chairpersons Shabbir Ali and Harjinder Singh, and members Tababi Devi and Climax Lawrence. Also present were the AIFF President's Advisors Armando Colaco and Bimal Ghosh, Technical Director Syed Sabir Pasha, Director of National Teams Subrata Paul, and members of the Executive Committee, as per an AIFF press release. Marquez was appointed as the head coach of the Indian side almost an year back and since then, out of eight games, India has won just won one game back in March against Maldives. His last match, for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup qualification in June, ended in a 0-1 loss to Hong Kong. It was also discussed and proposed by the Executive Committee, in consultation with the TC, to increase match time for Indian players, particularly strikers, by reducing the number of foreign players in both leagues. In addition, a feasibility study will be conducted to explore the possibility of fielding U23 national team probables in the I-League, as part of long-term preparations for the Asian Games. The house further agreed on the practicality of implementing these changes in consultation with club owners and the league management, to ensure decisions are taken in the best interest of the national team. The Committee further congratulated the Senior India Women's National Team on their 5-0 victory against Iraq in their AFC Women's Asian Cup Group B qualification match. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
It's official: AIFF, Marquez part ways
Kolkata: The senior men's national football team will have a new coach – their third since June 2024 – after Manolo Marquez and All India Football federation (AIFF) mutually agreed to part ways. Marquez's request to be relieved of national team duties was ratified by the AIFF executive committee at a meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday. Manolo Marquez and the All India Football Federation have agreed for the Spaniard to step down as the India men's national football team coach. (AIFF Photo) Over the next few days, an advertisement for the position of the head coach will be issued and, hopefully, by the middle of this month, AIFF will be able to prepare a shortlist, said Satyanarayana Muthyalu, the federation's deputy secretary-general. The shortlist will be given to the technical committee which will forward its recommendations to the executive committee, he said. The next window for international matches is in September and India do not play in the 2027 Asian Cup qualifier till October 9 when they meet Singapore away. Marquez was appointed in July 2024 after AIFF sacked Igor Stimac – and had to pay $400,000 ( ₹ 3.35 crore then) as compensation, a first in the 88-year history of the federation. India managed one win, in a friendly against Maldives in March, in eight matches under the Spaniard who won the Indian Super League (ISL) cup with Hyderabad FC in 2021-22 and was also in charge of FC Goa last season. HT had reported on May 6 that Marquez could quit as India coach and continue at FC Goa with whom he won the Super Cup last term, a result that gave the club the right to compete in Asia. FC Goa will play Oman's Al Seeb FC in a single-leg Asian Champions League 2 qualifier on August 13. Cut to foreigners proposed The executive committee, following consultation with the technical committee, also proposed that the number of foreign players in the playing 11 in ISL and I-League be reduced by one, said an official who attended the meeting. An AIFF media release said the move is being suggested to increase match time for 'Indian players, particularly strikers'. The release does not mention how AIFF will implement this. Should it be accepted, it will be mean a team can have three foreigner players on the pitch at any time in the top two tiers of Indian football. 'We are not sure ISL will accept the proposal but we can implement it in I-League,' said the official who is not authorised to speak to the media and hence did not want to be named. National team director Subrata Paul, and former coaches Bimal Ghosh and Armando Colaco, who are the AIFF president's advisors, attended Wednesday's meeting. The EC has also proposed that I-League players be allowed to take part in the men's national championship for the Santosh Trophy and the National Games, the official said. A feasibility study will be conducted to see if the India U23 squad can play in the I-League, the AIFF media release said. It has also been decided that players from countries under the South Asian Football Federation will not be treated as foreigners. '(AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey had mooted this on SAFF platforms and Bangladesh have already implemented it. Hopefully, India will be next,' said the official mentioned above.
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Business Standard
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
AIFF parts ways with Indian football team head coach Manolo Marquez
Manolo Marquez's tenure as head coach of the Indian men's senior national football team has come to an end after a mutual agreement to part ways with the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The announcement was made following an Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday, where the decision to terminate Marquez's contract was finalised. This move came a day after the AIFF Technical Committee recommended a fresh recruitment process through open applications to appoint a new head coach. Marquez's stint lasted less than a year, during which he juggled responsibilities between the national side and FC Goa for ten months. A disappointing run marked by goal-scoring woes Marquez's time in charge included just eight matches, yielding only one victory — a 3-0 win over the Maldives in a friendly earlier this year. India suffered three defeats, against Syria, Thailand, and Hong Kong, while managing four draws with Mauritius, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Bangladesh. A significant concern during his tenure was India's lack of attacking potency. The national team failed to score in five of those matches and netted just five goals overall — three of which came against a Maldives side that had not played competitive football in months. Costly defeats and a slipping Asian Cup dream The final straw may have come in India's recent losses to Thailand and Hong Kong, both occurring after Marquez's longest training camp and his first spell solely focused on the national team. While India created scoring opportunities in both fixtures, their inability to convert and subsequent defensive lapses proved costly. The 2-0 defeat to Hong Kong was especially damaging, leaving India at the bottom of their 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifying group with just one point from two games. With crucial matches against Singapore looming in October, the AIFF will now seek a new leader to reinvigorate India's fading qualification hopes.
New Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
India football coach Manolo Marquez steps down after poor run, AIFF to invite fresh applications
NEW DELHI: Embattled India football head coach Manolo Marquez stepped down on Wednesday after reaching a "mutual agreement" with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), which was under pressure to fix accountability for the recent downward spiral of the national team. The AIFF Executive Committee, in its meeting here, agreed to relieve the 56-year-old Marquez after he expressed his desire to do so despite one year still left in his contract. "The AIFF and Manolo decided to mutually part ways without any financial implications to any of the two parties. So, he is relieved from being India coach. The AIFF will shortly advertise for the post of head coach," AIFF Deputy Secretary General K Satyanarayana told PTI. The Spaniard was appointed as head coach in June 2024 for a two-year tenure. He worked in a dual role last year as he was also the head coach of Indian Super League side FC Goa in 2024-25 season. India lost 0-1 to lower-ranked Hong Kong in an away match of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers on June 10, which left the country in danger of missing out on qualifying for the continental showpiece in 2027.
