India head coach Manolo Marquez's future to be decided on June 29 reveals Kalyan Chaubey

Manolo Marquez was appointed the coach of the Indian football team in July 2024!

The Indian football team is going through its lowest of lows in recent history. Having picked up just one win since the start of 2024, the Blue Tigers broke into the top 100 FIFA rankings in July 2023; however, they have since dropped to the 133rd rank.

After bowing out on the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers under Igor Stimac, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) brought in Manolo Marquez to succeed the Croatian head coach.

The change was highly lauded as the fans had a lot of expectations from Manolo Marquez given his pedigree in Indian football. The Spaniard had successful stints with Hyderabad FC and FC Goa. However, things have not turned out as expected.

Also Read: AIFF Press Conference REPLAY: President Kalyan Chaubey addresses media amid growing crisis in Indian Football

India’s record under Manolo Marquez

Having signed up as the Indian football team manager on 20th July, 2024, Manolo Marquez said that he hoped to do great things for Indian football. But he has since failed to replicate the form of his club teams on the international stage.

Under the Spaniard, the Blue Tigers have played a total of eight games. In this, India picked up just one win against the Maldives and succumbed to three losses. Draws against Mauritius and Bangladesh too have not helped the mood in the national camp.

Kalyan Chaubey provides an update on Manolo Marquez’s future!

Given the Indian national team’s performance in recent games, rumours were swirling that Manolo Marquez would step down from his position as the coach of the Blue Tigers. Kalyan Chaubey, the President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), has now provided some clarity on the same.

Kalyan Chaubey said, “Manolo Marquez is a highly rated coach and has a good understanding of Indian football and the players. We are all familiar with the success he has had in India. However, in the past few days, we have received several calls on whether the coach will continue or not.”

“We have an executive committee meeting on 29th June where we will take a call on that. Our national team has suffered losses; however, it is unrealistic to expect wins without scoring first!,” he added.

However, Khel Now’s sources are fairly certain that Manolo Marquez is no longer continuing with the Indian national football team. The Spaniard is expected to continue with FC Goa, with whom he won the Kalinga Super Cup last season.

Can India qualify for the AFC Asian Cup 2027?

Having missed out on FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification, India were expected to at least make it to the AFC Asian Cup 2027, their third continental qualification in a row. However, their 1-0 loss to Hong Kong this week has made the things uncertain and difficult.

Currently, India has just one point from their two qualification games. With four group games to go, India needs to pick up wins against Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh. Only the best team from the group will qualify to the AFC Asian Cup 2027, whereas the rest will be eliminated.

With a new coach coming into the fold, the Indian football team could undergo a transformation in terms of playing style and the squad. The player will have to settle in quickly as they will need to win all their remaining group games to have a strong chance of making it to the Asian Cup.

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.