Top five coaches in Indian Football in 2023

Indian football fraternity was grateful to witness these coaches elevate their side to the zenith!

2023 proved to be quite a memorable year for Indian Football. It was full of entertainment across multiple league divisions, with the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League both providing a lot of thrills. It proved to be a special one for the ISL, with Punjab FC becoming the first-ever team to be promoted to the league after clinching the I-League title.

Some teams were slightly better than the rest in 2023 and they owe a lot of their success to their influential coaches. Indian football is still mostly dominated by foreign coaches, with some working their magic to guide their respective clubs to a lot of success. With that being said, we look at top five coaches in Indian football in 2023.

5. Staikos Vergetis

The Punjab FC boss played a significant part in helping them become the first I-League side to gain an earned promotion to the ISL. Vergetis helped his side absolutely dominate things in the 2022-23 I-League season and helped them tap into their best performances in 2023. Punjab ended up bagging the I-League title comfortably, winning 16 of their 22 games and only losing twice last season.

Not just that, but Vergetis has ensured that they play thrilling attacking football too, scoring 45 goals last season. Punjab might not have won one of their first 10 ISL games, but have still put on a few action-packed displays – including a 3-3 draw against Bengaluru FC. Vergetis is definitely doing the best he can with the given resources, all while ensuring Punjab FC have a reputation for being a progressive, attack-minded side.

4. Sergio Lobera

Sergio Lobera made a stunning return to Indian football after the end of the 2022-23 season, deciding to accept the Odisha FC head coach role. The Spaniard used his influential nature to help the Juggernauts rope in important signings, acquiring the services of his former students Ahmed Jahouh and Mourtada Fall. While Odisha might’ve started their regular season with a 4-0 loss to Mohun Bagan SG in their opening AFC Cup game, they have significantly picked up their performances after that.

Lobera has drilled his philosophy of slick, possession-based football into his side and made them play some fearless attacking football. He has inspired them to win their group in the AFC Cup over Mohun Bagan, while the Juggernauts have also won four of their first eight games of the ISL season. Lobera is back with a bang in India and seems focused on taking Odisha to the top.

3. Manolo Marquez

Manolo Marquez has retained his reputation as one of the most respected tacticians in Indian football by helping any side he manages to operate at a high level. Marquez helped Hyderabad FC secure a second-place finish in the ISL league stages last season, as they went on to lose to Mohun Bagan in the semi-finals.

Marquez would go onto accept the FC Goa head coach role after the end of the 2022-23 season and has gone onto help them restore their reputation as one of India’s best. The Gaurs reached the Durand Cup semi-finals under him and have dominated things in the ISL so far.

FC Goa are still unbeaten in the ISL, winning six times, conceding three goals and keeping five clean-sheets in a row. He’s making them play possession-heavy, efficient football and made them almost impenetrable defensively. If things go like this, then Marquez can finally perhaps win his first ISL Shield in 2024.

2. Des Buckingham

Des Buckingham continued his good work in keeping Mumbai City as the model club in Indian Football in 2023. The Islanders were extremely dominant in the 2022-23 ISL season, winning the league stages in a rather dominant fashion by emerging victors in 14 of their 20 games and scoring a whopping 54 goals – 18 more than second-place Hyderabad FC.

Mumbai City played some progressive, clinical football under him and put up a few respectable performances in a difficult AFC Champions League group at the start of the 2023-24 season too. Buckingham decided to move on from Mumbai and take up the Oxford United manager role in November, but created a lot of fond memories for the fans in 2023.

1. Juan Ferrando

2023 was a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Juan Ferrando at Mohun Bagan, but one where he ultimately comes out with his head held high. He kept the Mariners fighting in the ISL last season, and guided them to win the ISL playoffs with a number of gritty performances towards the end of the campaign. Not just that, but Ferrando would also go on to help Mohun Bagan win the 2023 Durand Cup – defeating arch-rivals East Bengal in the final.

While the Mariners didn’t always play the most unplayable, free-flowing football – he instilled a winning mentality into the squad to help them win multiple silverware. Injuries and a few lapses in concentration might’ve seen the Mariners get knocked out of the 2023-24 AFC Cup group stages, but Ferrando still deserves a lot of credit for working through numerous obstacles and a packed schedule to help his side win multiple silverware in 2023.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.