Manolo Marquez Aims to Lead Indian Football Team to AFC Asian Cup
New Delhi [India], August 11: The newly appointed head coach of the Indian football team, Manolo Marquez, has set his sights on qualifying for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup. Marquez, who took over as head coach on July 20, held his first media interaction on Sunday in New Delhi.
Focus on Improvement
During the press conference, Marquez emphasized his goal to enhance the skills of Indian players. He stated, “The target now is obviously to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup if we speak about competitions. The target is also to improve the level of the Indian players in this case, to reach the next step individually and as a team. We need to improve.”
Marquez highlighted that progress requires time and a collective effort from players, the federation, staff, and coaches. He expressed confidence that with the right attitude, good results would follow.
Preparation and Teamwork
Marquez stressed the importance of every player understanding their role in the team. He mentioned that the team would have six to seven games before the first qualifier in March and that friendly matches would be used for preparation. “We need players who play for the team, and not individually. You have to find the correct players, not just 11 but the whole group of 20 to 25. Everyone needs to know their role in the team and we need to play in the style that we want,” he added.
New Leadership
Marquez replaced Igor Stimac, a former Croatian footballer, who was dismissed as the head coach of the Indian men’s football team in June following a poor performance in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification campaign.
Doubts Revealed
Manolo Marquez -: Manolo Marquez is a football coach from Spain. He is now the head coach of the Indian football team.
AFC Asian Cup -: The AFC Asian Cup is a big football tournament in Asia. Teams from different countries in Asia compete to be the best.
New Delhi -: New Delhi is the capital city of India. It is where many important events and meetings happen.
Igor Stimac -: Igor Stimac is a football coach from Croatia. He was the head coach of the Indian football team before Manolo Marquez.
FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers -: These are matches that teams play to try to get into the FIFA World Cup in 2026. The World Cup is a huge football tournament held every four years.
Friendly matches -: Friendly matches are games played between teams that do not count for any tournament. They help teams practice and prepare for important matches.
