Akhil Rawat
AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: Spanish coach Manolo Márquez held his first media interaction on Sunday, August 11, 2024 in New Delhi, since taking over as the head coach of the senior men’s national team.

While addressing the media, he was quick to acknowledge the fact that it was a dream come true for him to take charge of the Blue Tigers.

“First of all, I'm very grateful and I want to say a big thank you to the AIFF for the confidence it has in me. This is my fifth season in India and if you tell me five years ago that I will spend five years in India, maybe I would think that it was crazy. India is my country after Spain. It is the foreign country I’ve spent the most time in,” said Márquez.

Márquez, who arrived late on Saturday night, had a hectic Sunday during his stay in the capital before flying back to Goa. In the morning, the new head coach held an extensive meeting with the Executive Committee and Technical Committee members of the AIFF. Later in the day, he visited the Football House for a meeting with the AIFF President Shri. Kalyan Chaubey, where the duo were engaged in discussions on the senior men’s national team and Indian football in general.

While addressing the media, Márquez said, “For a long time, I was thinking that maybe one day I would like to coach the national team and I'm here now. I am very happy and it is a dream for me to be the national team coach of India.”

Márquez first landed in India ahead of the 2020-21 Indian Super League season to take charge of Hyderabad FC and his family-like relations with Indian players are no secret, which already gives him a head start as he begins his national team journey.

“I have felt the connection in India from day one, since my first training session with Hyderabad FC. My connection with the Indian players is very nice. It's true that we spent two seasons in a bubble inside the hotel and spent a lot of time speaking. You can ask me where they are from, how many family members they have, the traditions or the different kinds of culture in every state of my players. As a foreigner, you have to adapt to new things, even in football. You need to know how the Indian players are. It’s not the same to train in Spain, Thailand and India,” said the 55-year-old.

Márquez will juggle between the Blue Tigers and FC Goa job for the 2024-25 season. On managing the hectic domestic and international calendar together, Márquez said, “It's true that this situation is not normal, but they are manageable. It’s not the first time that the same person will coach a national team and a club together. There are many examples from the past of this happening in not just foreign countries but India as well.

“The matches are not at the same time. When the national team plays, there’s a break in the ISL, so that can be shared. In the first few weeks, there will be a lot of work. But it's my passion and I know it won't be a problem. Obviously both jobs are about professionalism. And you won't have any doubt about it because we will work very hard for the national team.”

India were knocked out of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeat in Qatar in June, which means Márquez’s first order of business, as far as official competitions are concerned, will be qualifying for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. The qualifiers are set to begin in March 2025 in which 24 teams will be divided into six groups of four teams each, with the winner progressing to the final tournament in Saudi Arabia.

The draw for the qualifiers will take place in December and it will be important for India to keep their place in Pot 1 so as to achieve a favourable draw. Márquez will have friendly matches three FIFA International Match Windows (September, October and November) to utilise before the qualifiers. It all begins with the Intercontinental Cup in September where India will face Mauritius and Syria in Hyderabad, followed by matches against Lebanon and hosts Vietnam in the Tri-Nation tournament in October.

“The target now is obviously to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup if we speak about competitions. The target is also to improve the level of the Indian players in this case, to reach the next step individually and as a team. We need to improve. I don't like to speak about the ranking because sometimes statistics don’t show the true picture. Everyone knows that progress takes time, but in this case, it depends on the attitude of everyone. Players, federation, staff, coaches. We all need to go in the same direction and then I am completely sure that we will get good results.

“We will have six, seven games before the first qualifier in March. Let's see what happens in the first FIFA window before the ISL starts. In this situation, we are playing friendly matches and need to prepare for more important matches ahead. And we can’t forget we need to be in Pot 1 before December’s draw. But finally it's about preparation and to find the correct people to grow as a team. We need players who play for the team, and not individually. You have to find the correct players, not just 11 but the whole group of 20 to 25. Everyone needs to know their role in the team and we need to play in the style that we want,” said Márquez.

In the previous national team camp in May and June, four players from the I-League were called up. Márquez remained of the opinion that it did not matter what tier a player plies his trade in, if he has the level, the national team doors will be open for him. However, it ultimately depends on the level of opposition the players are used to playing against.

“We can speak about Edmund (Lalrindika). He was the only I-League player who played in the June matches because he had the quality. If they have the level, obviously, we will call them. But again, it would be better if these players play against stronger opposition. That’s how they get better. In the ISL, there are 13 teams, which is still not too many. Obviously, the I-League players have possibilities, but the normal thing is that there will be more possibilities from the ISL and I think everyone can understand this situation,” said Márquez.

The Spaniard rounded off by speaking on the importance of mentality in players and how no skill, technique or quality will matter if the brain doesn’t work in tandem. “We have to be stronger mentally. In football, technique is very important. Tactics are very important. Physical condition is very important, but if the head doesn't work, you can do nothing in life, not just football. For example, if you start a game losing 0-2 in the minute 20, you still have 70 minutes to turn the score and it is possible. This is the mentality. In the national team, theoretically, we'll play the best players in the country. Then if the mentality is correct, we will get good things with good results.”