"National team is not about developing players" says Manolo Marquez ahead of Maldives clash

Manolo Marquez’s decision to summon Sunil Chhetri out of retirement has raised eyebrows among fans.

Indian football team head coach Manolo Marquez has had a tough start to life as the national team head coach. Since taking over the reins in July 2024, the Spanish head coach has gone winless in his first four games.

With a goal towards securing his first win in the upcoming international friendly against Maldives and the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers campaign, the Spaniard called Sunil Chhetri out of retirement for national duty. While this move received significant backlash from some sections of the Blue Pilgrims, the Indian head coach recently defended his selection.

Manolo Marquez fires back at lack of seasoned players

Ahead of the upcoming international friendly against Maldives, Manolo Marquez addressed the media while calling for more experienced and seasoned players in the national setup. While defending his reasons for selecting Chhetri, Manolo Marquez stated, “The national team is not about the developed players. Developed players, they have to arrive.”

The Spaniard feels that developing young players while wearing the Indian jersey is too risky, and the responsibility lies with the I-League and Indian Super League (ISL) clubs. Marquez insists that the clubs must be responsible for developing players before making their international bow with India.

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Marquez is in ‘win-now’ mode in 2025

Manolo Marquez was not pulling any punches when he proclaimed his main goal ahead of upcoming international games in the schedule. Manolo Marquez laid down the marker to his men, stating, “The main thing is that we need to win games. And if we need to win games, we need to call the players who are in better shape.”

With an important AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers to follow shortly, Marquez will be desperate to capture some winning momentum in the coming games. With Maldives up next in the international friendly, the Spaniard is responsible for delivering results instantly.

Sunil Chhetri is back in the Indian football team’s colors

The Spaniard was full of praise for the returning Indian icon during the pre-game press conference, hailing his influence on the squad. While talking about Chhetri, Manolo Marquez stated, “Moreover, obviously, Sunil, of course that he helped the young players. But I think that if you check the scores in ISL, it’s very clear who is the Indian player with more goals. It doesn’t matter if he is 20, 40 or if he is my grandfather with 87. He will be here in the international team.”

His head coach’s glowing endorsement will fuel the 40-year-old to translate his domestic form on the international stage. Considering his impressive resume for club and country, the Blue Pilgrims are in for a show when he takes the field against Maldives on Wednesday.

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