Panaji: manolo marquez Alberto Roca arrives as replacement to move to Barcelona Hyderabad FC, But when he left the club after three years, he had changed the club. From the bottom tier in 2020 to the champions in 2022, it was a remarkable turnaround. The Spanish coach did this with a young team and produced 10 players for the national team, which puts them in a different league. Marquez, who is now at FC Goa, recalls his time with Hyderabad in this exclusive interview. Part…
After spending three years at Hyderabad FC, was it an easy or difficult decision for you to switch to Goa?
I have only good words for Hyderabad. For me, it was very, very difficult. The (coaching) staff wanted to stay in Hyderabad but it was very difficult. The relationship with the players was the best I have ever had in my life. This team will always be like first love. But, unfortunately, there were some financial issues that more or less everyone knows about by now. I think they can solve the situation.
How tough was last season?
very, very difficult. had more merit (in last season’s performance) than when we were isl Champions. It is very difficult when you are playing and you are not getting paid and the team keeps on winning. That is why in practically every press conference I have said that these players deserve a monument in Gachibowli (stadium) or in the middle of the city. To me, the owner is a very nice person. We ended up in a difficult situation. If I have to tell you something, it is that Hyderabad missed (former director) soccer) Sujay Sharma Very. This is my opinion. He is someone I have argued with, fought with, but he is very smart and a very nice person. He is now with Mumbai (city). This is for a reason. If Hyderabad can finish second – of course, with Goa in first – then I would be very happy for the club and all the players.
You always talk fondly about Hyderabad. Is it because of the young players you groomed there: Akash, Ashish, Rohit, Hitesh, Yasir, Nikhil, Nim, Gurmeet, so many Them. How did you manage to develop them, and is this bond stronger because of their development?
I don’t know Perhaps, it was too good a relationship. It is true that I like training the ‘B’ teams in Spain. For me, it was the same here. He was very young at the time, but the most important thing was that he had the right attitude. He had many good qualities. I don’t want to be cocky, but we had 10 players who made it to the national team. You mentioned a lot of names but there are more players with a great future. For example, one player you didn’t mention is Abdul Rabieh. I am sure this boy will be a very good player. When Sana (Singh) got injured, Nim (Dorjee) played very well. It’s all about confidence.
You also need quality…
Of course, no doubt about it. But as I say everyday, a mediocre player with confidence is better than a very good player with no confidence. We had very strong players with good quality. This is the key to the success of the team and these players.
You ended your time in the Super Cup in Hyderabad with a red card. Do you regret it?
It is not just about the last match. After the ISL and the Super Cup, I was out of the game completely. Things were bad, everything was not normal. The days we spent in Kerala for the Super Cup were a complete disaster. We had a lot of problems with players who didn’t even want to play the Super Cup. Some players did not play the last (ISL) match against ATK Mohun Bagan due to some reasons. I have a strong character, but I have good relations with most of the coaches. I remember I had an argument with Clifford Miranda during the game against Odisha, in the last game against ATK Mohun Bagan I also had an argument with a referee. I got a fair red card (in the Super Cup) because I can’t enter the field of play. I am not happy with this situation and I need to criticize myself because it was not right on my way. I repeat that the last month was difficult in Hyderabad. The red card was justified, but I think my behavior on the bench during these three seasons has been defined by the good relationship I have with most of the referees. I am very correct on the bench (in terms of behaviour). My character is strong, but that’s normal in football.
,
After spending three years at Hyderabad FC, was it an easy or difficult decision for you to switch to Goa?
I have only good words for Hyderabad. For me, it was very, very difficult. The (coaching) staff wanted to stay in Hyderabad but it was very difficult. The relationship with the players was the best I have ever had in my life. This team will always be like first love. But, unfortunately, there were some financial issues that more or less everyone knows about by now. I think they can solve the situation.
How tough was last season?
very, very difficult. had more merit (in last season’s performance) than when we were isl Champions. It is very difficult when you are playing and you are not getting paid and the team keeps on winning. That is why in practically every press conference I have said that these players deserve a monument in Gachibowli (stadium) or in the middle of the city. To me, the owner is a very nice person. We ended up in a difficult situation. If I have to tell you something, it is that Hyderabad missed (former director) soccer) Sujay Sharma Very. This is my opinion. He is someone I have argued with, fought with, but he is very smart and a very nice person. He is now with Mumbai (city). This is for a reason. If Hyderabad can finish second – of course, with Goa in first – then I would be very happy for the club and all the players.
You always talk fondly about Hyderabad. Is it because of the young players you groomed there: Akash, Ashish, Rohit, Hitesh, Yasir, Nikhil, Nim, Gurmeet, so many Them. How did you manage to develop them, and is this bond stronger because of their development?
I don’t know Perhaps, it was too good a relationship. It is true that I like training the ‘B’ teams in Spain. For me, it was the same here. He was very young at the time, but the most important thing was that he had the right attitude. He had many good qualities. I don’t want to be cocky, but we had 10 players who made it to the national team. You mentioned a lot of names but there are more players with a great future. For example, one player you didn’t mention is Abdul Rabieh. I am sure this boy will be a very good player. When Sana (Singh) got injured, Nim (Dorjee) played very well. It’s all about confidence.
You also need quality…
Of course, no doubt about it. But as I say everyday, a mediocre player with confidence is better than a very good player with no confidence. We had very strong players with good quality. This is the key to the success of the team and these players.
You ended your time in the Super Cup in Hyderabad with a red card. Do you regret it?
It is not just about the last match. After the ISL and the Super Cup, I was out of the game completely. Things were bad, everything was not normal. The days we spent in Kerala for the Super Cup were a complete disaster. We had a lot of problems with players who didn’t even want to play the Super Cup. Some players did not play the last (ISL) match against ATK Mohun Bagan due to some reasons. I have a strong character, but I have good relations with most of the coaches. I remember I had an argument with Clifford Miranda during the game against Odisha, in the last game against ATK Mohun Bagan I also had an argument with a referee. I got a fair red card (in the Super Cup) because I can’t enter the field of play. I am not happy with this situation and I need to criticize myself because it was not right on my way. I repeat that the last month was difficult in Hyderabad. The red card was justified, but I think my behavior on the bench during these three seasons has been defined by the good relationship I have with most of the referees. I am very correct on the bench (in terms of behaviour). My character is strong, but that’s normal in football.
,