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The All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointed Spanish manager Manolo Marquez as the new head coach of senior men’s football team on Saturday, July 20. The current coach of FC Goa, Marquez, will replace Igor Stimac, who was sacked by AIFF after India crashed out of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
Marquez will continue his role with FC Goa and will begin his full-time duties with the national side in June 2025 before his contract with the Goan side comes to an end. Following it, Marquez will shift his full attention towards the national side. Marquez, 55, has been working in the ISL since 2020, having managed Hyderabad FC in past. He has also been the coach of Spanish club Las Palmas in La Liga.
Thankful to FC Goa for their generosity of releasing him: Kalyan Chaubey, AIFF President
AIFF Chief Kalyan Chaubey shared his delight after appointing the Spaniard for his new role while thanking FC Goa for releasing him. In an official statement, Chaubey said, “We are delighted to welcome Mr. Marquez to this important role and are also thankful to FC Goa for their generosity of releasing him for national duty. We look forward to working with Mr. Marquez in the years ahead.”
Marquez, on his appointment as the new coach of the Blue Tigers, said, “It's an honour for me to be the National Football Team coach of India, a country I consider my second home. India and its people are something I feel attached to and I feel a part of since I first came to this beautiful country. I want to do my best to bring success to the millions of fans we have.”
He continued, “I am very grateful to FC Goa for allowing us the flexibility to help the national team during the coming season while I am still the club’s head coach. I'm grateful to the AIFF for this opportunity and we hope to do great things for football.”
