Outgoing coach Manolo Marquez urges FC Goa to hold onto its players after Super Cup success

Outgoing coach Manolo Marquez urges FC Goa to hold onto its players after Super Cup success

FC Goa manager Manolo Marquez said his side was the deserved champion of the Super Cup 2025 following its 3-0 final triumph against Jamshedpur FC at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

Borja Herrera bagged a brace while Dejan Drazic sealed the deal to ensure that Marquez walked away with a trophy in his final game at the club. It also confirmed Goa’s participation in continental competition after a break of four years, booking a spot in the AFC Champions League Two (ACL2) 2025-26 season.

“It has been a great tournament for us. We have a fantastic group of players, and they completely deserve to be the champions,” Marquez said during the post-match press conference.

“When we arrived here, we knew that we needed to win four games. And we did it,” he added while donning a wide smile.

For Marquez, the journey has not been a bed of roses. After enjoying success with Hyderabad FC, where he won the Indian Super League 2021-22 title, Marquez joined the Gaurs in 2023 and led them to the ISL Cup semifinals in consecutive seasons. However, he failed at the same stage on both occasions, losing to Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC, respectively.

He also finished second in the race for the ISL League Shield this season, finishing behind Mohun Bagan Super Giant, which eventually ended up securing the domestic double.

So, the trophy could not have come at a better time for Marquez, who will now exclusively coach the Indian men’s national football team.

The Spaniard lauded his current group of players for the harmony in the dressing room and affirmed that this was the reason for its success.

“This year, the group was very strong. They are friends more than teammates, which is very difficult to find,” Marquez said.

“I feel that this club may not be the best in India in terms of titles. But in terms of organisation, I think FC Goa is the best,” he added.

When asked about FCG’s chances of enjoying success next season in the league and on the continental level, Marquez urged the need for the club to hold onto its players.

“Speaking from my experience in India, continuity is very, very important. Now, in modern football, with the agents, the players move around constantly,” said Marquez.

“But if you get to keep the same group of players, usually the results are better every season. I believe that it would be a big mistake to destroy this group,” he signed off.

Published on May 04, 2025