Sunil Chhetri

Panaji: India coach Manolo Marquez cut a forlorn figure after the solitary goal loss against Hong Kong, understandable for a man who savoured just one win from his eight games in charge of the national team. The first six games were in his dual role as coach of club and country but worryingly for the Spaniard, both his games as full-time coach of the national team ended in defeats. If the 0-2 loss against an under-strength Thailand in an international friendly was brushed aside with the focus being on the AFC Asian Cup 2027 final-round qualifiers, the defeat against Hong Kong left everyone deflated. “The dressing room is like a funeral, practically,” Manolo said after the game at the Kai Tak Stadium on Tuesday. “We are not very happy.We are sad. But I still think that India has possibilities to qualify.” India are at the bottom of the four-team group with just a point from the first two games, starting with a draw against Bangladesh. Singapore and Hong Kong are on top with four points. Only the group winners make it to Saudi Arabia in 2027. Mathematically, India can finish on top, but even if it happens, Manolo won’t be around to savour the achievement as the Spanish coach is expected to part ways with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) as soon as later this month. “From June 1, Manolo became a full-time national team coach, and he cannot walk out of his two-year contract on his own,” a senior official told TOI on Wednesday, “Both parties must agree on termination. Given the situation at the moment, with the chief coach hesitant to continue and the results not entirely convincing, the mutual parting of ways is a mere formality.” ‘Nitish Kumar is a guy who can bowl that magic ball’: India bowling coach Morne Morkel A formal parting of ways is expected to take place when the technical committee of the AIFF and its executive committee holds separate meetings on June 29. Manolo will be disappointed with the unexpectedly early end to his stint as national coach. Having managed teams at every level, including grassroots, youth, third division, second division, women’s football, and the LaLiga with Las Palmas in 2017, the national team job was the only one missing for the Spaniard. He was brought on board after agreeing to do a dual job with FC Goa and India, but the results have been far from satisfactory. “I cannot say anything negative about the players. The attitude was there, we had a plan too. In some moments, I felt we could have played better with the ball and be brave. But this is about the situation that the team is not winning, and the players are a little nervous,” said Manolo.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player? It was Manolo who flew down to Bengaluru from Goa to convince Sunil Chhetri to come out of international retirement, seeing him as a short-term solution, given that the other leading scorers among domestic players was an uncapped winger and a left-back. Chhetri agreed, scored once against Maldives — Manolo’s only win as national team coach — but hardly made an impression in the subsequent games. Against Hong Kong, India’s highest international goal-scorer didn’t even make it to the starting XI. When the next round of Asian Cup qualifiers are played against group leaders Singapore, away (Oct 9) and home (Oct 14), AIFF would have found a replacement for Manolo as national coach. Replacing Chhetri won’t be as straightforward, unless the 40-year-old forward decides it’s time for India to start afresh. Maybe his starting on the bench on Tuesday was a pointer to how things might shape out in the coming months.