'Resigned In April, But AIFF Asked Me To Stay Till June': Manolo Marquez Reveals Reasons Behind Departure
Former India football coach Manolo Marquez resigned in April, but the AIFF convinced him to stay until June. He led India in eight matches with only one win.
Former India men's football head coach Manolo Marquez has revealed that he initially submitted his resignation in April, but the All India Football Federation (AIFF) persuaded him to extend his tenure for a few more months.
The Spaniard took over the national team following the abrupt departure of Igor Stimac in early 2024.
Marquez led India in eight matches during his brief stint, managing only one victory—a 3-0 win over the Maldives in a friendly encounter.
His tenure came to an abrupt end after the AIFF Executive Committee, during its meeting in the national capital, agreed to relieve Marquez, despite having a year left in his contract.
But, it has now been revealed by Marquez himself, that he desired to leave much earlier.
'I resigned in April, but they asked me to do it in the June window. They tried to convince me for a month to continue at the head of the Indian national team," Marquez said in an interview with Spanish outlet Marca.
Marquez's exit came after India's underwhelming start to the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers.
The Blue Tigers were held to a draw against Bangladesh in their opening game and suffered a last-minute 0-1 defeat to Hong Kong, thereby putting both the coach and the team under immense scrutiny.
Despite the disappointing outcomes, Marquez emphasized that the poor results weren't the sole reason for his departure.
'I didn't want to leave because of the bad results. In fact, they tried to convince me for a month to continue. It seems that they have now accepted my initial decision," he added.
'Coaching the Indian national team was the dream of my life. But when you see that all teams do not play by the same rules, you feel that this is not your place."
'I admit that I have done things wrong, but if the results had improved, I would probably still be in office," he explained.
Marquez first arrived in India ahead of the 2020–21 Indian Super League (ISL) season to take charge of Hyderabad FC, and under his leadership, they clinched the ISL title in 2022.
Following his success with Hyderabad, Marquez took over as head coach of FC Goa, eventually leading them to a Super Cup, while also managing the national side in a dual role since early 2024.
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