Indian Football: Manolo Marquez Steps Down as India Men’s Football Coach After Mutual Agreement with AIFF

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Indian Football: Manolo Marquez has stepped down as head coach of the Indian men's football team, ending his tenure with the national side by mutual agreement with the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

The decision was made official on Wednesday following an AIFF Executive Committee meeting held in New Delhi.

Although Marquez still had a year left on his contract, he had expressed his desire to exit the role, prompting the federation to accept his request. "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," said AIFF Deputy Secretary General K Satyanarayana, as quoted by PTI.

The decision comes in the wake of India's 0-1 loss to Hong Kong on June 10 during their 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers campaign-a result that further deepened the team's ongoing struggles. Speaking after the defeat in Shillong, a visibly frustrated Marquez said, "I still think that India have possibilities to qualify. Obviously, we are sad. The dressing room is like a funeral. But we're still in the fight."

He added, "Practically, I don't want to speak much. I am very angry, disappointed with everyone. I do not have words for this poor performance. Maybe this is the reality of Indian football, and the positive is that we didn't concede a single goal with the chances they created."

Marquez's departure caps a difficult period for Indian football. The senior team has endured a steady decline over the past year, including a disappointing group-stage exit at the 2024 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar, where India lost all their matches without scoring a single goal.

In July 2023, India was ranked 99th in the FIFA world rankings, but the team has since slipped to 127th. They have not registered a competitive win since November 2023, when they defeated Kuwait under former head coach Igor Stimac. Even the return of veteran forward Sunil Chhetri from retirement hasn't helped revive India's fortunes.

The AIFF is now expected to begin its search for a new head coach in the coming weeks.