Panaji: Manolo Marquez will continue in India for his seventh season, this time at a different club.After three-year spells at Hyderabad FC and FC Goa, where he won trophies, the former India coach has now completed a move to Mumbai City FC on a one-year deal.After winning Super Cups in successive seasons with Goa and building a competitive squad, the parties were keen on extending their partnership. Talks were held, but Goa’s reduced budget for the season meant they couldn’t reach an agreement on the salary and guarantee heavy spending on the squad.Mumbai have admired Manolo during his time in India and roped him in as a replacement for outgoing head coach Petr Kratky. It also helped that Sujay Sharma, the club’s director of football, won the ISL trophy with the experienced Spanish coach at Hyderabad in 2022.“This is one of the biggest and most successful clubs in India, with a clear ambition to keep growing and competing for the highest honours,” Manolo said on Saturday. “I enjoy taking on challenges, and I see this as a fantastic opportunity to work with a talented group of players and build something special together. We will work tirelessly every day to create a team that our fans can be proud of. I would like to thank everyone at the club for placing their trust and confidence in me. I look forward to this new chapter.”Unlike his previous clubs in India, Manolo will not be joined by his trusted assistant coach Benito Montalvo, who has since joined FCI Levadia FA in Estonia. According to sources, Mumbai will not have a foreign assistant coach with Anthony Fernandes continuing in his role as the Indian assistant. Goalkeeping coach Milos Petrovic is likely to secure another year at the club, while there is no word yet on the strength and conditioning coach.“Manolo’s footballing philosophy aligns perfectly with our vision, while his leadership qualities and proven track record of developing players made him the ideal choice,” said co-owner Bimal Parekh. “Ever since arriving in India, the work he has done at Hyderabad and Goa has been exceptional, and his achievements speak for themselves. He is widely respected across the Indian football community, and we believe his strong character and leadership are exactly what the dressing room needs as we strive to achieve our objectives.“
