Mumbai City FC parts ways with coach Manolo Marquez after poor ISL start

Mumbai City FC and coach Manolo Marquez have parted ways by mutual consent, the club announced on Friday morning. The departure marks the first managerial change of the current ISL season.

Marquez leaves after a poor start to ISL 2026-27, in which Mumbai City lost two and drew two of their first four matches. His final match was a 2-3 home loss to SC Delhi last Sunday, after his side had surrendered a 2-0 lead.

The final whistle sounded with Marquez standing with his hands on his hips before he walked across the width of the pitch, head down, straight to the dressing room.

Club statement and recruitment dispute

Mumbai City Director of Football Sujay Sharma said in a statement published on the team’s website that the club is navigating a new era for Indian football and that this marks a fresh start for the top tier of the Indian game.

He said the club brought Marquez in for his experience and track record in Indian football, and that the focus now remains on supporting the first team and achieving its objectives for the ongoing season.

The departure does not come as much of a surprise, as Marquez and the club had been at loggerheads from the start of the season over bringing in players.

Asked about the team’s recruitment policy after the Delhi match, Marquez said he was not the one who could answer. He had also said in his post-match press conference that if the club decides to substitute the coach, they can do it.

Against Delhi, Mumbai fielded an inexperienced forward line. The team created several scoring opportunities but wasted most of them in its first home match of the season.

Marquez’s record in Indian football

Marquez is 58 years old. His coaching career in India started when he led Hyderabad FC to the ISL Cup in 2021-22. He left Hyderabad FC in 2023, claiming the club had changed; soon after, the franchise shut down and became SC Delhi.

He then led FC Goa to the Super Cup title in 2025 and left after three years, saying either the coach or the players needed to change.

Along the way, he was roped in by the All India Football Federation to serve as national team coach while also managing FC Goa.

His stint with the Indian team lasted just under a year, and the team managed to win just once in the eight matches he was in charge of.

Mumbai City FC background

Mumbai City FC is an Indian professional football club based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Founded on 30 August 2014, the club competes in the Indian Super League, the top tier of the Indian football league system.

It is one of the most successful clubs in ISL history, jointly holding the record with Mohun Bagan Super Giant for the most major ISL honours, having won two ISL League Winners Shields and two ISL Cups.

The club became the first in ISL history to win both the League Winners Shield and the ISL Cup in the same season, achieving the feat in the 2020–21 campaign.

What happens next

Mumbai City must now appoint a replacement and try to recover its position in ISL 2026-27. The club’s Director of Football said the focus remains on supporting the first team and achieving its objectives for the ongoing season.

Mumbai City FC's first four matches of ISL 2026-27

Related on Apex Sports News

• ISL 2026-27: SC Delhi beat Mumbai City 3-2

• Chennaiyin FC vs Kerala Blasters ends goalless in ISL southern derby

• ISL champions list: every Indian Super League winner and Shield winner

Sources

• Hindustan Times

• Khel Now

• Wikipedia: Mumbai City FC (background)

• Photo: jarmoluk, Pixabay Content License (Pixabay)