Manolo Marquez tells of tactical tweak that rejuvenated team in ISL final

The tactician was joined by the skipper after winning the ISL title on penalties.

Hyderabad FC wrote the biggest chapter in their short history by lifting the 2021-22 Indian Super League title. They beat Kerala Blasters in the final through a penalty shootout. The match ended 1-1 after normal time, thanks to goals from Rahul KP and Sahil Tavora. Laxmikant Kattimani became the difference-maker in the tiebreaker, after making three saves to help the Nizams win 3-1 on penalties. The contest saw the return of fans who cheered at the top of their lungs. HFC’s head coach Manolo Marquez was full of praise for the custodian and he was joined by team captain Joao Victor in the post-match press conference.

Here is what the pair had to say while answering the questions from the media:

Laxmikant Kattimani best for our style

Manolo Marquez expressed delight for Kattimani’s performance and hailed him as the best choice for the way Hyderabad play. He said, “For our style of play, I told every time that Kattimani is the best goalkeeper. He is not only good in goal but also with his feet. He can play outside of the box, like today in some moments. Prabhsukhan Gill played very well this season. But, in my opinion, if I have to choose one goalkeeper this season it has to be Kattimani.”

“I have a lot of respect for every coach. I cannot say which player can go or not (in the national team). I can only speak about the level of Kattimani and it is two years since he has been one of the best goalkeepers in India,” he further added in the context of the goalkeeper's chances of getting a national team call-up.

Half-time talk

Talking about what was said during the half-time team talk, Manolo Marquez revealed, “We spoke about that we have to play in a more compact way because in the first half, we had too much space between our lines. We controlled the situation more in the second half. We played with a lot of personality in the second half and extra-time.”

Impact of fewer foreigners & way forward

Manolo Marquez heaped praise on the domestic players and credited continuity as the key factor in helping HFC this season. He stated, “This is what I am happiest about. When I talk about last season, Joel (Chianese) and (luis) Sastre were injured for a long time, Fran Sandaza was injured for a long time, and we had only three foreigners, but all in key positions. Then it was the moment for Indian players, who had to show their quality and they played very good football. Finally, six players were in the national team.”

“In my opinion, football needs more continuity. Who won the league? Jamshedpur with the same coach as last season. Who won the ISL? Of course, there are coaches like Ivan (Vukomanovic) who have done a fantastic job, but finally the continuity, when you have good players, for me is the key to this team.” 

Joao Victor’s assessment of match

The skipper talked about the match and expressed his views on it by saying, “It was special because it was a final. A final after two years, we had people in the stadium. We have young players, so maybe they were feeling it a bit. But, after in the second half, we played a good game and we could win at the end.”

“It paid off, everything that we did during the season. Being in the bubble, we had a lot of cases of COVID. We could not win the shield because of COVID. Far from families, it is very difficult. For me, this is the best group I have been with all my career, so it makes it easier.” the skipper further added while speaking about the challenges from the season.

Undying belief

Being the leader on the pitch, Victor was crucial in helping the team lift the spirits and chart a comeback. Explaining his role on the pitch, he said, “It is the job of the captain and the experienced players. If we get desperate, how will the young players be? We knew that we could win.”

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