“Angry and disappointed” at India playing out a 0-0 draw against Bangladesh in the AFC Asian Cup qualifying round match, head coach Manolo Marquez said his team has gone two-three steps back since the first match under him last year. At the end of a scrappy contest between the two familiar rivals, Marquez admitted that his team played a “very bad game” in all departments. “I am really angry and disappointed. If you ask me, maybe today is the most difficult press conference in my career. Because I don’t want to say all the things that are in my head at this moment,” the Spaniard said after the match on Tuesday night.
“When we started in Hyderabad against Mauritius (in Intercontinental Cup in September 2024) with one training session, till now, before the game today, it was every time better. Today we took two or three steps back,” he said in a hard-hitting press conference.
“Very, very poor performance of the Indian team, in the first half especially. It was better in the second half but not enough. We got one point, that’s the best thing.” Marquez mentioned the absence of a few injured players but said it was no excuse for the poor show.
“A lot of very important players, starters, they are not here. All of them injured. But this is not an excuse,” he said, referring to the injuries to Brandon Fernandes, Manvir Singh and Lallianzuala Chhangte.
“First, it’s a reality. But second, we need to improve always. Even playing good football, you need to improve always in all the areas, in defence, in attack, in transitions, in set-pieces, everything.
“Today was not our day. The best thing is that all four teams are with one point and we have five games. We start from zero in the second round.” Midfielder Lalengmawia Ralte said his team was “lucky” to have got a draw.
“I also agree that we are lucky not to concede a goal. And we are lucky to get the draw. We could have done so much better.” Marquez, who took charge as India head coach in July 2024, dismissed the notion that his players are lacking in experience.
“This is nothing about experience or not experience. This is how you enter in the game. The game started with one pass back. And the goalkeeper passed the ball to the (Bangladesh) striker. And the striker, without the goalkeeper, he sent the ball out,” he said referring to Vishal Kaith’s mistake early in the game.
“In this case, it was the goalkeeper. But practically, it was every single player. And I don’t want to say this or that. Obviously, some players are better.” He was also asked about very few Indian players playing in striker’s position in the Indian Super League teams.
“Nothing to say to the coaches (of ISL teams). They can put the players that they want. Even I played with a foreign striker,” said Marquez who is also doubling up as FC Goa head coach.
He will leave the FC Goa position and will solely be the India head coach after the play-offs matches of the ISL, with the final happening on April 12.
When he was told that some matches of the ISL and Super Cup are left to be played in the domestic circuit, he said, “When you are disappointed, you are disappointed. But if you ask me, I expected this performance.
“You say about ISL and the Super Cup. Maybe it’s not the best moment to put the players just after this FIFA window. But this is my opinion.” In the March FIFA window, India played two matches, the international friendly against Maldives (3-0 win on March 19) being the other one.
Replying to another question, he said, “The players arrived at the national team with two days. They played two days ago, another seven days ago, another five days ago, another four.
“Everyone will say excuses. But the reality is that the physical condition is not the same when you arrive. When you played yesterday, and when you played one week ago. But this is not the reason that today we play a bad game. It’s only one explanation about your question.” PTI PDS PDS AH AH
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