Manolo Marquez: Not everyone is fully fit in our squad

The Hyderabad FC tactician hopes to end the season with a trophy.

Hyderabad FC kick off their Hero Super Cup 2023 campaign against Aizawl FC on 9 April 2023 at the Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri, Kerala. Manolo Marquez's side came close but could not secure either the Indian Super League Winner’s Shield or Trophy during the 2022-23 season. Their decent performances did not bear the ideal result which was disappointing for the fans and the players.

The outfit came second to eventual Shield champions Mumbai City FC in the league stage. In the playoffs, Hyderabad FC lost to ATK Mohun Bagan on penalties after both legs ended in goalless draws. 

However, the Hero Super Cup presents a perfect opportunity for Hyderabad FC to secure a trophy before the season concludes. Manolo Marquez aims to start off with a win against I-League outfit Aizawl FC. They had to navigate through the qualifying fixture against TRAU FC to get here. He spoke to the media ahead of the game and here are the excerpts:

Manolo Marquez aims to be champions

Manolo Marquez is aiming for the trophy despite a long campaign that started with the 2022 Durand Cup. “We began with the Durand Cup, the ISL, and now we have the Super Cup - the season's last tournament. The idea is to be champions here. We've got a 25-man squad, but not everyone is fully fit at the moment, like Bartholomew Ogbeche and Hitesh Sharma. But we want to play in the best way possible,” he said suggesting that the season has been long and ending it with a trophy is the objective.

Difficult format

Manolo Marquez talked about the tough group his team find themselves in alongside the likes of Aizawl FC, East Bengal and Odisha FC. “Our group is very tough. Only one team qualifies for the semi-finals. So, even if you win the first two games but lose the last one, you could be out,” he said in this context.

No complacency

The tactician has respect for their upcoming opponents from the I-League and has seen videos of them in action which shows his proactiveness as the head coach. Talking about Aizawl FC, Manolo Marquez said, "Aizawl are an I-League team, but they've got some good foreigners. We've seen their videos and we know that they can be good. It is true that they finished seventh in the I-League but they play good football.”