Manolo had his doubts, now he’s loving it in India | Goa News
Many people, Manolo Marquez says, have asked him to write a book on his experiences in football. Presumably, he isn’t thinking about it as of now, but should he eventually decide to put his thoughts together, the first chapter would be on his flight to India in 2020.
“It would start with asking myself, what are you doing here?,” Manolo told TOI on Monday.
Well, that was 2020, with the Covid-19 pandemic changing the way we looked at everything. As everyone stayed indoors, football games everywhere were even played inside empty stadiums. Manolo endured the chaos, later embraced what the country had to offer, and he is now into his fifth season in Indian football.
That he’s risen to become the India coach – a dual responsibility he shares with his coaching duties at FC Goa – makes him one of the busiest men in football. Now, the 56-year-old is on the verge of managing 100 games in the Indian Super League (ISL), the country’s top-tier league, a record that just two other coaches – Sergio Lobera (114) and Antonio Lopez Habas (112) – have managed in the last 10 years.
“India feels like my second (home) country,” Manolo said during the pre-match media interaction. “I’ve never spent five years anywhere else, besides Spain. I am very comfortable here. Having stayed in Hyderabad (2020-23) first and now Goa, I am privileged that I enjoyed so much, not just on the pitch, but outside as well.”
On the pitch, Manolo’s teams and choice of players are often predictable: first, there’ll be promising youngsters who eventually find their way to the national team; Liston Colaco, Akash Mishra, Asish Rai, Nikhil Poojary, Jay Gupta and now Aakash Sangwan, if examples are needed. Players aged 23 or under have made a combined 383 appearances under Manolo, the third highest such tally of any manager, while 12 players aged 23 or under have made their ISL debut under the experienced Spanish coach.
A special feature of Manolo’s team is the emphasis on defence and order. They are almost always well organised. His sides have kept 34 clean sheets, with only Habas managing more in ISL history (38). Is it any surprise that they concede only 1.02 goals per game, the third lowest rate of any manager with 20 games in charge behind Albert Roca (0.95) and Jose Molina (0.96).
It’s hard to beat Manolo’s sides. It shows in his record of losing just 19 games, far less than Lobera (24) and Habas (27) after 100 matches.
“It’s a nice coincidence that my 100th game will be at Hyderabad, a place where I started my coaching career (here in India). For me, it will be always special to go to Hyderabad because I like the city. But such feelings will last till kickoff. Once the match starts (on Wednesday), we will go for three points,” said Manolo.
At Hyderabad, the Spanish coach was at the helm for 65 matches in ISL, winning 31 for a win percentage of 47.7. More importantly, he won the ISL Trophy for the club in 2022, a pleasant surprise for a side that finished at the bottom just two years ago. It was, as Manolo pointed out, like “Osasuna winning La Liga, or Leicester City winning the Premier League.”
At Goa, with a better squad, Manolo has understandably done better than at Hyderabad, with a win percentage of 52.9. Last season, his team remained unbeaten in the first phase, were favourites to win the ISL Shield, but three losses, including one against Kerala Blasters after taking a two-goal lead, upset plans.
From among the coaches who have managed 100 or more in the ISL, Lobera and Habas have both won the ISL Shield. In fact, Lobera did it twice, with Goa and Mumbai City, while Habas tasted rich success with Mohun Bagan. Can Manolo now join the elite list?
“We are speaking about the two top coaches in ISL,” said Manolo. “Everyone wants to win the Shield. This season – even though in my opinion Mohun Began are the favourites – it’s very difficult (for any club). It’s impossible to even say which six teams will qualify (for the playoffs). Last season, at this stage, we already had five (teams who were almost assured). This season, the fight will be till the end. The team that finishes seventh or eighth will be labelled a failure. But I don’t remember any competition which is so equal like this in India, maybe even in other countries.”
