In a revealing interview with MARCA, former India coach Manolo Márquez has shed light on the timeline and reasons behind his departure from the national football team. Contrary to the timing of the AIFF’s official announcement, Márquez confirmed that he had already submitted his resignation in April, months before the federation made it public.
“I resigned in April, but they asked me to take the June transfer window,” Márquez told the Spanish sports daily, adding the AIFF spent a month trying to persuade him to stay.
While the national team’s performance had been underwhelming, the former Las Palmas and Hyderabad FC head coach made it clear that poor results were not the trigger for his exit. “I didn’t want to leave because of the results,” he stated, while acknowledging his own shortcomings during his tenure.
Perhaps the most striking part of the interview was Márquez’s remark about fairness in Indian football governance. Despite calling the India job “the dream of my life,” the Catalan tactician said: “When you see that all the teams don’t play by the same rules, you feel like this isn’t the place for you.”
Márquez also opened up about the emotional and psychological strain on the Indian team during the June camp, revealing that the players were aware of his departure days before the crucial fixture against Hong Kong. “It’s not easy for a player who arrives for three weeks to be in a team where you know the coach is going to leave.”
Throughout the 2024-25 season, Márquez was juggling dual responsibilities — managing both the Indian national team and FC Goa — a rare and taxing arrangement. Reflecting on the pressure he faced, he said: “The season started badly with the national team and with Goa. I was receiving criticism from all sides.”
Despite the rocky start, Márquez managed to steady the ship at FC Goa. The club finished second in the ISL, lifted the Super Cup, and secured a place in the upcoming AFC Champions League Two, marking one of the most successful campaigns in the club’s recent history.
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