New Delhi: Taking charge of the Indian men’s football team is an unenviable task at the best of times. To do so when Croatian Igor Stimac, who came with a credible reputation, has parted ways on a bitter note and India’s most prolific goalscorer, Sunil Chhetri, has just retired is akin to being given a hospital pass.

Spain’s Manolo Marquez has been handed this stern challenge after getting a three-year contract from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) last month. He is also coach of Indian Super League (ISL) club FC Goa. The 55-year-old will navigate both roles simultaneously for the first year before shifting his gaze exclusively towards the national team thereafter.

Marquez has never managed a national team previously. Nor has he had to deal with the issue of conflict of interest that arises from coaching a club and country at the same time. Addressing his first press conference as India coach at a plush hotel in the national capital, Marquez didn’t seem fazed. “There is always a first time. Regarding the conflict of interest, it is not the first time. It won’t be the last,” Marquez told reporters. “It is not common in the world, but there are big names in Guus Hiddink, Rinus Michels and others who have managed a club and national team. It is true that it is not very normal, but it is finally about professionalism. We will work very hard for the national team.”

Till he was appointed coach of Hyderabad FC at the peak of Covid in 2020, the Spaniard couldn’t have envisaged having anything to do with Indian football. But once he took the plunge and began working in ISL, the job of India coach became a matter of interest.

“This is my fifth season in India. If you tell me when Covid started that I will spend five seasons in India, I will maybe think I was crazy. But the reality is that after Spain, this is the country where I spend more years. From day one, I felt that things would work in a good way in India. Obviously that thought was right because we are here now. It is a dream to be a national team coach in India for me,” Marquez said.

He is realistic, however, about the magnitude of the challenge awaiting him. India didn’t even advance to the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers for the 2026 edition. Mentality of the players, believes Marquez, is an aspect where India are lacking most glaringly.

“They are improving, but it is the Indian mentality,” observed Marquez. “We need to improve in this aspect. They have to be stronger mentally. In football, technique, tactics, physical condition are important, but if the head doesn’t work, you can do nothing. If you are losing 2-0 in the 20th minute, you have 70 minutes to turn the game. And this is possible. This is mentality. In the national team, if the mentality is correct, we will get good results.”

Marquez isn’t setting himself lofty targets. “The target is to improve the level of the Indian players to arrive at the next step individually and as a team. I don’t like to speak about the ranking because sometimes statistics aren’t true. But finally, the real target is to progress to be better as soon as possible. Everyone knows it takes time. But in this case, it depends on the attitude of everyone. All of us need to go in the same direction. Then, I am completely sure we will get good results.”

In Marquez’s view, what will accelerate this progress is if India’s players take the bold step of moving overseas to play in foreign leagues.

“The level of Indian players is better than what it was five years ago. But it can be better and improve faster,” said Marquez. “My feeling is that Indian players are very comfortable in ISL. You will grow when you play abroad. I am not speaking about the top level, like the Premier League or La Liga. But if you go abroad and play against opponents who are better than you, you will improve. But I understand that life is very good for them in ISL and it is difficult that they try to go abroad.”

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