Manolo Marquez is no longer the Indian national men’s team coach. He departed after Wednesday’s announcement with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) having a majority vote in its Executive Committee meeting. While widely reported as a resignation, AIFF clarified that it was a mutual decision following internal discussions.
Marquez’s last-minute resignation one year after being appointed might be the outcome of a year of poor performances and missed opportunities on the world stage.
No Wins, Struggling Rankings, and Hong Kong Defeat
Marquez arrived in Indian football backed by his good reputation, having led Hyderabad FC to the 2022 ISL title and the Super Cup with FC Goa at the beginning of this year, but his international duty was a disaster.
Manolo Márquez resigns as India football coach after poor results and internal rifts with AIFF. With only one win in eight games and a shock loss to Hong Kong, his exit exposes deeper issues within Indian football’s system—where politics may be outplaying the sport itself.… pic.twitter.com/OaoWhOW6MQ
— Hook (@hookonline_) July 3, 2025
During his tenure as captain, India won only a single competitive match 3-0 friendly win against the Maldives, and India’s FIFA ranking dropped from 99 to 127. His final game, the 0-1 defeat to Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup qualifying match, was India’s first competitive loss to Hong Kong after 32 years.
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Even the comeback of veteran striker Sunil Chhetri could not turn around the luck of the team. Overall, India under Marquez played eight matches, with three losses and a single win, which was just the friendly with the Maldives.
After his 2-2 draw with Bangladesh in March was indicative of rising pressure, but the Hong Kong defeat brought the spree to an end. AIFF had originally asked him to stay back, but the team’s performances made it difficult to do so.
His tenure included 8 matches with 1 win, 3 losses, and 4 draws.
Khalid Jamil Becomes Front-Runner for Head Coach Position
Since the post has become vacant, AIFF will release an open advertisement for applying for India’s new coach. One probable candidate whose name is being rumoured in the debate is Khalid Jamil, the current Jamshedpur FC head coach and only Indian manager in the ISL.
Jamil has already guided NorthEast United FC and Jamshedpur FC to the ISL semi finals, and his team was even the Super Cup runner-up last season.
However, Sportstar mentioned that Jamshedpur FC’s coach has not officially received an offer from AIFF for Khalid, and he has a contract with the club till 2026.
If at all such an offer comes, then the club will decide, but until now, no official statement has been issued.
However, if selected, his appointment would be a shift to have an Indian coach lead the national team following decades of foreign dominance. It would be a shift towards domestic respect and long-term development of Indian players.
Amit Mishra’s Take
Manolo Marquez’s exit has brought quite a relief among the fans and added hope to the Indian team. It is a wake-up call that success in a few clubs does not necessarily mean performance out there in the greater world.
While his resume was good with some experience, the failure at the national level exposed systemic flaws.
This change can allow Indian football to return to its long-term mission. If Khalid Jamil is given his opportunity, it can set a platform for Indian coaches to coach India’s national team, a bold but challenging step that can remap the future of Indian football.
