India men’s football head coach Manolo Marquez has stepped down from his position after reaching a mutual agreement with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), following a series of dismal results that have seen the national team plummet to its lowest FIFA ranking in years.
The decision, finalised during an AIFF executive committee meeting on Wednesday, comes with one year still remaining in the Spaniard’s two-year contract signed in June 2024.
AIFF deputy secretary general M. Satyanarayan confirmed the development, stating, “The AIFF and Manolo decided to mutually part ways without any financial implications to any of the two parties. So, he is relieved from being India coach. The AIFF will shortly advertise for the post of head coach.”
Satyanarayan reiterated that Marquez did not resign but was released following discussions that concluded the partnership was no longer viable.
Marquez, who took over from Igor Stimac, brought with him the laurels of winning the Indian Super League title with Hyderabad FC in 2022 and the Super Cup with FC Goa earlier this year.
His tenure with the national side yielded only one win from eight matches — a 3-0 victory over Maldives in a friendly in March — with the team logging no victories in competitive football since November 2023.
His departure comes weeks after India’s 0-1 loss to Hong Kong in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers on June 10 — a result that compounded growing concerns over the trajectory of Indian football.
The 55-year-old Spaniard had voiced his dissatisfaction with the state of Indian football following a goalless draw against Bangladesh in March, a team ranked 56 places below India at the time.
India's decline over the past year has been marked and painful. From a FIFA ranking of 99 in July 2023, the Blue Tigers have slipped to 127, their lowest in recent memory. Their campaign at the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar ended in a group-stage exit after losing all matches, and the team managed just one win in six matches during the second round of FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC qualifiers.
A 2-1 defeat to Asian champions Qatar in the final match sealed their exit from yet another World Cup qualification cycle.
On June 7, Telegraph India had reported in detail on the glaring infrastructural deficiencies plaguing Indian football — an issue that continues to underpin the sport’s downward spiral in the country.
Former Mohun Bagan coach Sanjoy Sen, speaking to The Telegraph India, said, “India needs a holistic overhaul of the player development process as well as the league structures. No players today have the drive and commitment to take the game to newer heights. Every few years, foreign coaches come, show us dreams, give a deadline of when we will play in the World Cup. Then they retire or lose jobs without giving any results.”
The AIFF has also been mired in controversy recently. Former India captain and current AIFF executive committee member Bhaichung Bhutia launched a scathing attack on All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey on June 21, alleging that the federation's credibility has eroded since Chaubey assumed office in September 2022.
Speaking at an 80-minute news conference held at the Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club, Bhutia pulled no punches in criticising Chaubey, who was backed by the ruling BJP and defeated Bhutia in the federation's presidential election.
“Anyone following Indian football can see that the AIFF has turned into a complete circus,” said the 48-year-old icon. “If you put jokers in those positions, it is bound to be a circus.”
Bhutia accused Chaubey of damaging the reputation of the federation, stating that the current leadership lacks both vision and competence. His remarks come amid growing concern over the state of Indian football, which has been on a steady decline in performance and governance.
Chaubey later sent out a media release which said: "Since the defeat, Bhutia has consistently and deliberately made baseless allegations and presented a distorted image of the AIFF."
Since the golden era under iconic coach Syed Abdul Rahim, the national team has cycled through nearly 40 different coaches. The AIFF’s inability to foster domestic coaching talent is evident — only 26 Pro-licensed coaches have emerged from India in the four decades following Rahim’s time.
The league framework has also contributed to the malaise. Before 1996, India lacked a national league altogether, stifling opportunities for consistent player development. The launch of the National Football League that year featured a mere 12 teams in a short three-month season, without promotion or relegation — far from the year-round competitive structures seen in successful footballing nations.
As India searches once again for a new head coach, the road ahead appears challenging, with expectations rising for reform both on and off the pitch.
The AIFF’s next appointment will be critical not just for short-term recovery, but for the long-term future of Indian football.