FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez suspended for Mohun Bagan game after publicly criticising AIFF
Gaurs suffered 2-0 defeat to Jamshedpur at Furnace
FC Goa’s ISL 2025-26 title ambitions hit a major blow after the Gaurs succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to Owen Coyle’s Jamshedpur FC at the Furnace. The Gaurs now stand fourth in the ISL table and find themselves two points behind table toppers Jamshedpur FC.
To make matters worse for the Gaurs, FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez has also been handed a two-game suspension and has been fined 40,000 INR for alleged misconduct. Manolo will be absent from the FC Goa dugout in the vital game against Mohun Bagan Super Giant next in Fatorda.
In this article, let us find out the series of incidents that led to Manolo’s suspension and his comments against AIFF that drew disciplinary actions against the former Indian national team coach.
Manolo was involved in a heated exchange at the Furnace
Manolo was unhappy with the refereeing decisions of Crystal John in Goa’s most recent encounter with Jamshedpur FC. FC Goa player Muhammad Nemil was brought down by Jamshedpur FC defender Pratik Chaudhari in a one-on-one situation.
Marquez alleged that even the fourth official explicitly told him it was a clear red card, but after a brief delay, the referee only showed a yellow card. Manolo was venting his fury from the touchlines, and after the final whistle, he was involved in a heated physical exchange with the match commissioner.
Manolo said, “It’s a very clear red card. I didn’t see a clearer red card than this in my life. It was very good because the fourth official said it’s a red card; I will tell the referee now. And then suddenly, the referee showed a yellow card. And then they said that our player is going to the left, he’s not going to the goal. If someone can tell me if there is one more clear chance than this to show a red card, please tell me”
Manolo called AIFF a dictator for censoring his press footage
In the pre-match press conference, Manolo criticised the AIFF for poor scheduling that gave an unfair advantage to some teams in the title race. However, in the post-match, he revealed that AIFF only released positive snippets from his media interactions and deleted his concerns about the disaster of the current ISL.
Manolo’s original quote was, “When there are some teams with fewer games (played) in this disaster of competition, then it’s obvious that we need to win. I say disaster because when we play next week, we will have one more game, and there are teams with three or four games pending, and it’s not normal. The team that wins tomorrow will be top of the table, but it won’t be the real top of the table. When you arrive at the final games, you cannot allow this.”
Later on, Manolo said, “I hope that you don’t cut my press conference. I am saying that because you cut my press conference before the game. When I spoke about the disaster of Indian football, of the competition, and you cut. This, I hope that you don’t cut. Because this is a dictator. When you cut what I say, it’s like a dictator. And this is what happens in Indian football,”
Manolo will miss final two games for FC Goa
Following the incident, the Spanish gaffer has been charged under Article 51 for bringing the game into disrepute. He has also been handed a two-game suspension for the immediate misconduct and has also been fined INR 40,000 for a physical altercation with the match commissioner at the Furnace.
Goa are mathematically still in contention for the title race, and the upcoming game against Mohun Bagan at Fatorda will be a crucial one to determine the fate of the league. Anything other than a win in their final home game could prove detrimental to Goa’s AFC Champions League 2 hopes.
Assistant coach Gouramangi Singh is expected to be leading the team from the sidelines in the upcoming game against Mohun Bagan in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao.
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In addition to writing articles on World and Indian Football, Saikat has also covered tournaments like the Durand Cup, Indian Super League, and Hockey India League. Notably, his exceptional communication skills have seen him interview legendary icons like Olympic 2024 gold medalist Yibbi Jansen, former Real Madrid player Javi Hernandez, and many more such sporting stalwarts.