Manolo Marquez resigned in April but was asked to continue till June, reveals former India coach
Former India coach Manolo Marquez has said that though he and the All India Football Federation mutually parted ways in July, he had tendered his resignation months ago.
“I resigned in April, but they asked me to take the June transfer window,” Marquez told Spanish outlet MARCA in an interview.
“I didn’t want to leave because of the poor results. In fact, they tried to convince me to stay for a month. It seems they’ve now accepted my initial decision.”
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Marquez, who came to India as Hyderabad FC’s head coach in 2020, helped the side with the Indian Super League two years later.
In June 2024, he succeeded Igor Stimac as the men’s team head coach but could not steer the side to a competitive win in his one year in charge.
“Coaching the Indian national team was the dream of my life, but when you see that all the teams don’t play by the same rules, you feel like this isn’t the place for you,” Marquez said.
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Under Marquez, India lost the Intercontinental Cup, drew and lost three games each, winning just a friendly – a 3-0 victory against the Maldives.
“I recognise that I’ve done things wrong, but if the results had improved, I would probably still be in the position,” the Spaniard, who also led FC Goa to the Super Cup title last season, said.
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Marquez’s last match in charge was an away game against Hong Kong, which India lost 0-1 after the visitors converted from the spot in second-half stoppage time.
“Three days before the match against Hong Kong, all the players knew it would be my last game with the national team. 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,” Marquez said.
