"Very disappointed" Manolo Marquez laments failure to make playoffs

The tactician spoke after his team missed out on a playoffs spot.

Hyderabad FC’s dreams were dashed as they missed out on qualification into the Indian Super League 2020/21 playoffs. The outfit were held to a goalless draw by FC Goa, who needed to avoid defeat in order to march into the semi-finals. Manolo Marquez cut a dejected figure after the final whistle, much like the rest of his players, who came so close to clinching a playoffs spot for the first time in the club’s history.

Thoughts after missing playoffs

The Spaniard seemed visibly downhearted while expressing his reaction to the result. He quoted, “Disappointed? Very disappointed. Finally, we didn’t get the goal to arrive into the top four. Congratulations to my players because we are very proud. Of course we are very sad, but I think we were very close.”

Analysis of the match

The tactician gave his rundown of how he saw the game, saying, “Both teams had too much respect (for each other). In the first half, practically nothing happened. In the second half we risked more, it’s normal. Especially, in the last 15 minutes, we put offensive players on the pitch. I think we played very good in the last minutes and if we had scored then we would have won this game.”

Aridane Santana’s absence

Upon being asked if Aridane Santana could have made the difference to find that elusive goal, the tactician bluntly said, “You never know. I am very proud of all the players. I think Fran Sandaza played a very good game, 65 minutes that he was on the pitch, I am very satisfied with him. It’s impossible to answer this question.”

Plans for next season

In conclusion, Manolo Marquez also provided an insight into how this team can improve in the next season and hoped to play with fans in attendance. He stated, “The second year is always difficult because you are not a surprise, but I think the continuity in the club is very important. I think the players, most of them will continue in the team, and I hope we will play in our city Hyderabad, in front of our fans.”

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.