"India won’t qualify for the next World Cup, even with nine slots for the next edition" - Manolo Marquez

FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez has opened up about the drawbacks of the Indian footballing system which need to be addressed for India to develop as one of the top footballing nations.

Speaking to Sportstar about the Blue Tigers' chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Spaniard said:

"We can speak for 100 hours, but the problem is always the same. In this moment, India won’t qualify for the next World Cup, even with nine slots for the next edition. I would like to be wrong about this. It’s a long process, starting with the grassroots. We can speak about a lot of things, like the World Cup and the Asian Cup, but the problem is that you still don’t have the correct structure to arrive at this level. India has to start one day"

At the next edition of the World Cup scheduled to be held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, the Asian Football Confederation will receive nine spots. The tournament has been expanded from a 32-team event to a 48-team one.

Manolo Marquez, who joined the Gaurs ahead of the ongoing season, steered Hyderabad FC to their first-ever ISL title in the 2021-22 season, having taken charge of the Nizams in August 2020.

Talking about the current financial crisis at his former club, a dejected Manolo Marquez said:

"I am very sad about this situation... My feeling is that they didn’t value what went behind all the wins, so how will they know what they are losing? The problem is that they don’t have the correct people managing the club. The kind of problems they have now were there last season as well. We played all of last season without salaries. But that group was committed. I hope they can solve this situation as soon as possible because these people and the people of Hyderabad deserve a team in the ISL"

"The organization in India is something that can be improved" - Manolo Marquez

When asked about his opinion on Indian Men's Football Team head coach Igor Stimac wanting more time in training ahead of a crucial tournament like the AFC Asian Cup, Marquez responded:

"I completely understand Igor Stimac. If I am the national team coach, I would like more time. I am sure Igor completely understands that the ISL coaches want to have the players for the maximum time possible. The organisation in India is something that can be improved. If you don’t have the right planning, it’s difficult for the national team coach and ISL coaches to understand the season structure"

About what made him choose FC Goa as his next destination after spending three seasons with Hyderabad FC, Marquez heaped praise on the club's structure. He said:

"If you receive a call from FC Goa and you see the structure of the club, you know it’s a real club. It has a developmental team, a youth team, an Under-15 team, and even one with the kids. I am very comfortable at this kind of club, where the facilities are very good. I would indeed like to have more Goan players on the main team. Let’s see if we can do it in the future"

FC Goa are currently the only unbeaten team in the ongoing 2023-24 ISL. Given the red-hot form they are in, Manolo Marquez's men are one of the foremost title contenders this season.