Indian Football & ISL Transfer News
Manolo Marquez bids farewell to FC Goa after three seasons
The Spaniard led the Gaurs to successive Super Cup triumphs.
Indian Super League (ISL) club FC Goa have announced the departure of head coach Manolo Marquez through a social media post on Thursday night.
The Spaniard joined the Gaurs back in 2023 and has spent three years at the club. Marquez remains the club’s most successful and longest-serving head coach.
The former Hyderabad FC head coach, who won the ISL Cup with the Yellow and Black in 2021-22, made his way to FC Goa during a period where the club was desperately looking for consistency and a sustainable coaching setup.
Marquez brought stability in the post-Lobera era
The Gaurs were running through a challenging phase where coaches like Carlos Pena, Juan Ferrando, and Derrick Pereira took charge of the team but couldn’t match the standards that the club was renowned for, especially in the Sergio Lobera era.
However, it was none other than Lobera’s compatriot Manolo Marquez, who not only brought stability at FC Goa but also turned the Gaurs into a regular title contender in the ISL as well as in the Cup tournaments.
Under the watchful eyes of Marquez, FC Goa finished third in the league table in his very first season. The Gaurs accumulated a total of 45 points, including 13 wins and six draws from 22 games.
Marquez’s men were knocked out of the semis by the eventual ISL Cup winners Mumbai City FC in the 2023-24 season.
Also Read: ISL 2025-26: FC Goa season review
The Spanish head coach, who is well-known for nurturing youngsters, played a crucial role in developing players like Brison Fernandes, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Hrithik Tiwari, and others who not only came into the spotlight under Marquez’s tutelage but also established themselves as regular starters with match-defining performances.
The experienced head coach led the Gaurs to finish second in ISL standings in the subsequent season, where they recorded 48 points from 24 games, the highest in the club’s history.
Despite their strong league run, the ISL final remained elusive for Marquez in FC Goa colours as the Gaurs succumbed to a narrow defeat against Bengaluru FC in the ISL 2024-25 semi-finals at the Fatorda.
FC Goa demonstrated a brilliant performance in the Super Cup that season to record their first title under the stewardship of Manolo Marquez. The Gaurs eased past Jamshedpur FC by a 3-0 scoreline in the final in Bhubaneswar to clinch the Super Cup title for the second time.
With this result, the Spaniard also helped FC Goa return to AFC competitions, as the Gaurs participated in the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Two group stage matches.
Back-to-back Super Cup glory
Marquez’s men maintained their consistency in the Super Cup as they recorded back-to-back Super Cup titles, becoming the first club to achieve this feat.
FC Goa edged out East Bengal FC on the tie-breaker to defend the Super Cup title on home turf and win their second title with the Spaniard at the helm.
Manolo Marquez also served as the head coach of the Indian national team during the 2024-25 season, playing a dual role for both club and country.
However, his tenure with the Blue Tigers has been short, as he returned to FC Goa duty at the beginning of the 2025-26 season. The Gaurs remained in the title contention since the middle half of the league but lacked consistency and precision in the final third this time as they managed to win only 20 points from 13 matches, finishing in the seventh spot in the league standings.
With FC Goa, the Spaniard having mutually agreed to part ways, the club needs to look for Marquez’s successor to take the team forward in the 2026-27 season and build the team according to his instructions.
How many titles did FC Goa win under Manolo Marquez?
FC Goa won two Super Cup titles under Manolo Marquez.
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Shibashis is a sports journalist with over three years of experience covering Indian football. His work spans reporting, writing, and editing, with a strong focus on telling stories from across the Indian football landscape. Passionate about both Indian and European football, he continues to build his career by combining sharp reporting with a deep love for the game.