New Delhi, July 18 (IANS) FC Goa have confirmed that former India head coach Manolo Marquez will continue to lead the Gaurs in the 2025/26 season through a social media post.

The Spaniard was working on a dual role with FC Goa after being appointed the national team head coach in 2024, on a two-year-deal, before season after parting ways with the All India Football Federation.

“I was very happy during the previous two seasons, where the team showed consistent improvement each year. The level of organisation that the club operates with is not commonly observed in Indian club football, making FC Goa a very special club. It was clear for me that if I were to continue in India, it had to be with FC Goa,” said Marquez.

His departure from the men’s national team was made official after India’s poor start to the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers as the men in blue played out a draw against Bangladesh in the opening game before an Injury time winner in the 0-1 loss vs Hong Kong further added to their woes.

The Spaniard led the Blue Colts in eight games with only one win, a 3-0 victory over Maldives in a friendly. In the end, he leaves with a win percentage of 13% .

Marquez first landed in India ahead of the 2020-21 Indian Super League season to take charge of Hyderabad FC, where he won the Indian Super League title in 2022. In his three years with The Nizams, Marquez took charge of 74 games out of which he won 37 and drew 21 He went on to take the helm at FC Goa and led them to a Super Cup triumph.

In 62 matches under Marquez, FC Goa has won 38 games with 12 losses and draws each.

While FC Goa prepares for the upcoming season, uncertainty still dawns over Indian football as Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the IMG Reliance subsidiary that organises the Indian Super League (ISL), has put the upcoming 2025-26 season of ISL on hold because of the stalled negotiations over extending its deal with the All-India Football Federation (AIFF).

–IANS

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