Manolo Marquez gives major update on Joao Victor's return

The Hyderabad head coach was happy after guiding the club to the semi-finals of the competition. 

Hyderabad FC defeated ATK Mohun Bagan by a 1-0 scoreline at the G.M.C. Balayogi Athletic Stadium on Tuesday in the Indian Super League (ISL 2022-23). The win ensured a second-place finish for Manolo Marquez's side in the points table that takes them straight to the semi-final stage of the playoffs.

Manolo Marquez was full of praise for his players who had a lot of pressure to deliver during the 2022-23 season. Despite injuries to key individuals, the squad held together and stood up to the expectations.

The tactician spoke about this and more in the post-match press conference. Here are the excerpts:

A difficult season

Manolo Marquez described the ISL 2022-23 season as the most difficult because of the injuries to key players. He said, “We are happy. In the last three seasons, this has been the most difficult because we played good football in the first season but did not qualify. In the second season, we were champions and very clinical. This time, we have very important players out for the season like Laxmikant Kattimani and Joao Victor, two first captains of the team.”

“The team played with an order, it was very difficult to concede goals and usually such a team is in the first positions,” he added alluding to the fact that the Nizams reached the semi-finals after a tough campaign.

Expect changes

Hyderabad FC have two matches remaining that will not affect their league position, thereby giving Marquez a good opportunity to give rest to key players. The tactician indicated that there will be changes but at the same time, not a complete overhaul. 

He said, “You have to keep training hard. It is difficult when you have already secured second place and you have a break but we have to work and this is my job. We have to respect the competition because you cannot play with 11 players who have not received a lot of playing minutes. If you put 11 different players, it is impossible to manage the situation. For sure, there will be changes in the line-up.”

Thankful for the support

Manolo Marquez was thankful for the fans that came to the stadium in support of the team. He said, “For the fans that come to the stadium, I have to say thank you. We feel their support in every game. Even when we were in the bubble, we received a lot of messages on social media. We are happy with them but we are trying to grow football in Hyderabad because if you are the champions and now in the top-two, I think that more people have to come to the stadium.”

Manolo Marquez expects more people to turn up for the match against Jamshedpur FC as it takes place on a Saturday. He hopes to bring more people to the stadium as the players of HFC deserve it.

An important update on Joao Victor

The tactician also provided a major update regarding club captain Joao Victor’s return from a long-term injury. “Yes, he will play against Jamshedpur FC for some minutes, not in the starters. He could have played some minutes today, but we needed points, and sometimes it is an unnecessary risk, but now he can play some minutes on Saturday,” Manolo Marquez concluded.