Manolo Marquez criticizes harsh reality of cramped fixture schedule ahead of Mumbai City clash

After a two-week international break, the Indian Super League (ISL) is back in action. National team players have returned to their respective clubs, ready to defend their teams’ honor. Among them, FC Goa’s head coach, Manolo Marquez, has resumed his role with his squad as they prepare for an important clash against Mumbai City FC.

Both teams have had a less-than-ideal start to the season, with FC Goa sitting in sixth place with five points from four games, while Mumbai City languish in 11th place with just two points from three games.

Manolo Marquez on the unforgiving fixture schedule

In a pre-match press conference, Marquez shared his thoughts on whether the international break had helped his team address their defensive struggles. However, he raised concerns about the scheduling of the ISL, questioning the irregular breaks and overall fixture management asking for all the games to be played over the weekend as per the norms all over the world.

“The breaks are very big because the fixture is a complete disaster. This is the reality. They don’t take care of the national team. Suddenly, they put a fixture. When the (Indian) national team finishes its last game, then the ISL doesn’t start until six or seven days later. But they stop the competition just two days before the national team has to play,” Manolo Marquez remarked.

He gave the example of Lebanon’s canceled match during India’s International break, highlighting that if Lebanon had played, his team would have faced a tight schedule. The Spanish tactician added, “Imagine that Lebanon played; we had to play against Vietnam only three days after the last game in ISL, which is not normal.”

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Manolo Marquez also expressed concerns about the upcoming March international break, noting that the scheduling remains inconsistent. He noted, “Now, for example, I don’t know if they spoke between them, but now for the break of March. I don’t know if it’s correct, but we will have some days.”

Furthermore, he went on to highlight how indifferent breaks in between the seasons hamper the team’s momentum. He stated, “Sometimes you have three weeks, sometimes ten days, and for Christmas, for example, we have more than two weeks. We play on 20th December and again on 4th January, but other teams play on 28th December and 2nd January.”

Reflecting on previous seasons, Manolo Marquez recalled how last year his team played their final match of the year on 29th December, which he felt added unnecessary strain. He emphasized that the league can manage the fixture list better, given the available time as he concluded, “For me, playing one game every day is difficult. I am all in for playing together on weekends, if possible, altogether, (it is) better.”

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