"When you're playing and not receiving salaries, it's very difficult" - Manolo Marquez on his last month at Hyderabad FC

Laying bare the workings behind the scenes at Hyderabad FC, former manager Manolo Marquez has emphatically stated that he had to leave owing to the financial issues that the club was going through. In a tell-all interview with The Times of India on Monday, July 10, the Spaniard revealed how difficult it was for him to leave the Maidaan in Gachibowli at the end of the 2022/23 season.

Marquez, who led Hyderabad to their maiden Indian Super League triumph in the 2021/22 season, sent shockwaves across the city and the state of Telangana when he revealed his intention to leave the club at the end of the 2022/23 season. The supporters of the club were surprised by his decision given the kind of culture he had imbued at the club over the three years he had been in charge.

Moving forward with all guns blazing, Marquez, now the manager of FC Goa, said that it was very difficult for him and his team to carry on last season when their salaries had been delayed.

He said:

"(Last season was) very, very difficult. There was more merit (in last season's performances) than when we were ISL champions. When you are playing, and not receiving salaries, and the team continues winning, it's very difficult.

"This is the reason in practically every press conference I said these players deserve a monument in the middle of Gachibowli (Stadium) or the city. For me, the owner is a good person."

Marquez talked about the excellent working relationship that he had with Hyderabad FC's former director of football Sujay Sharma in the past. He said that in his opinion, Hyderabad FC badly missed Sharma's services, given that he is now with Mumbai City FC.

Marquez said:

"If I have to tell you something, it's that Hyderabad missed Sujay Sharma a lot. This is my opinion. He's one person that I argued with, fought with him, but he's very smart and a very good person. He's with Mumbai (City) now. This is for a reason."

Read: Hyderabad FC sign Vignesh Dakshinamurthy as Akash Mishra's replacement

"I received a fair red card in the Super Cup because I cannot enter the field of play" - Marquez admits his wrongdoing

Marquez's tenure at Hyderabad FC came to an ignominious end when he was shown a red card for barging into the field of play and arguing with the referee in their Super Cup encounter against Odisha FC. The Yellow and Black brigade eventually lost that match by a 1-2 scoreline.

Marquez said:

"I received a fair red card (in the Super Cup) because I cannot enter the field of play. I am not happy with the situation and I need to be critical of myself because it was not right on my part.

"I repeat the last month was difficult in Hyderabad. The red card was fair, but I think my behaviour on the bench during these three seasons has been defined by good relations with most of the referees."

Marquez made a few further damaging revelations, divulging that some of Hyderabad FC's players did not want to play in the Super Cup. He went on to say that the time the club spent in Kerala for the aforementioned competition was a 'complete disaster.'

He revealed:

"The days that we spent in Kerala for the Super Cup were a complete disaster. We had a lot of problems with players that 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."

With so many outgoings in the ongoing transfer window, it is now clear why Hyderabad FC have not bothered to keep players who did not want to give their all for the shirt. One can only hope that they will be able to rebuild well and challenge for more silverware in the upcoming season. Having signed left-back Vignesh Dakshinamurthy from Mumbai City FC, some believe that the club have already taken their first step towards that direction.