Former India football head coach Igor Stimac congratulated and extended his best wishes to the newly appointed coach Manolo Marquez. On July 20, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) appointed Spanish manager Manolo Marquez as the new head coach after Stimac was sacked following India got knocked out of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
Marquez, who is currently managing FC Goa, will continue his duties with the club and will begin his full-time duties with the national side in June 2025. It is then Marquez will shift his full attention towards the national team. The Spaniard has been associated with the ISL since 2020, having managed Hyderabad FC before FC Goa. Earlier, he has also been associated with Las Palmas in La Liga.
Stimac congratulated Manolo by posting his picture on X and wrote, “Dear Manolo, Congratulations on being named the new India head coach. The journey won’t be easy, but your experience with Indian players speaks for itself and you are best suited to take the Blue Tigers to the next level! Good luck my friend”.
Earlier during his final press conference as India’s head coach, Stimac had made bold claims about the next coach. He said, “He will know immediately but I can tell you for sure, not big name coach you can get. Everyone knows what kind of things we deal in India with football, how we operate, so you might get someone who’s desperate for the job at the moment.”