Manolo Márquez has made history as the first foreign coach to take charge of both an Indian club and the national team simultaneously. Currently leading FC Goa in the Indian Super League (ISL) while also serving as the head coach of the Indian national team, Márquez finds himself in a unique position.

Under his leadership, FC Goa has been performing strongly, securing 33 points from 17 matches and holding second place in the ISL standings. However, his tenure with the Indian national team has been challenging, with the team struggling to secure wins and slipping to 126th in the FIFA rankings.

In a recent interview, Márquez shared his views on juggling both responsibilities, the challenges in Indian football, and what needs to be done to improve the sport in the country.

Despite the demands of handling both roles, Márquez doesn’t see it as a problem. “I don’t look at them as separate. The beginning was a bit tough because we had national team games in September, October, and November, and FC Goa didn’t start well. People were criticising, but I always believe that when you get paid, you must listen to criticism,” he said. “It’s not common to have a double role, but it’s not the first time either.”

On Indian footballers, Márquez believes the country has talent but lacks consistency. “I’ve decided to write a book called Indian Mentality,” he joked. “There is so much talent here, but players struggle to perform consistently. When I first arrived, I noticed that in the first session, the players were fantastic, but in the second, they were terrible. A player who was bad last season is good this season, but there’s no continuity. That’s what Indian football is missing.”

While talking about football development, the coach believes grassroots development should be the top priority instead of focusing solely on short-term national team results.

Márquez believes the focus should be on grassroots development rather than the national team. “If the federation doesn’t act now, Vision 2047 will turn into Vision 2097. India has the talent, but immediate action is needed. Goa’s U-13, U-15, and U-17 teams have players as good as, if not better than, those in Spain.”

He highlighted the challenges young players face, from missing training due to exams to travelling long distances for practice. "People ask me when India will qualify for the World Cup, and I always say, 'That’s the last question I want to answer.' The system needs a complete reset.”

There is a common belief that Indian footballers lack the right mindset to succeed internationally, but Márquez doesn’t fully agree. “I’ve thought about writing a book titled Indian Mentality," he joked. "The country has a lot of talented players, but the main issue is inconsistency. I’ve seen players perform exceptionally well in the first training session, only to struggle in the second. Players who were out of form last season are performing well this year, but there is no stability. That’s a big problem in Indian football.”

With cricket being the most dominant sport in India, when Márquez was asked whether football could ever match its popularity. He was realistic in his response, 

“I don’t think football will ever surpass cricket in India, and that’s okay. In a country of 1.5 billion people, there’s room for more than one sport to thrive. What bothers me is when people say ISL must adjust its schedule for the IPL. I understand that the IPL is bigger, but football can still be the country’s second-most-popular sport. There’s no need to change football’s calendar for cricket.”

He also criticised India's tendency to make last-minute changes:

"One of the biggest issues here is that decisions are made at the last moment and then changed again. A proper structure and schedule need to be in place. That’s why I’ve adapted to working the Indian way.”