"We don't even know if there is an AFC spot on offer" - FC Goa coach Manolo Marquez criticises AIFF decision to hold Super Cup in January
The AIFF, which informed the ISL and I-League clubs about their decision to hold the Super Cup in January, has not won a lot of hearts with this call.
FC Goa's head coach Manolo Marquez, for one, is not exactly pleased with the decision and has made it clear that he would have liked to see some more details. As of now, the AIFF has not informed the clubs either about the format or the fixtures.
Speaking to The Times of India ahead of their game against Jamshedpur FC, Marquez mentioned how difficult it is for teams to prepare if they do not know what to expect from the tournament. The fact that the AIFF did not clarify if there would be an AFC spot on offer for the winners also irked Marquez.
"For me, it is not a good idea to play in January, but if we have to play in January, they have to confirm the format and fixtures. We need to know if the tournament is with groups or knockout. We don't even know if there is an AFC competition spot (on offer for the winners). If we have the exact fixtures, we can prepare well and avoid injuries," Marquez said.
"When we speak about development (of Indian football), the development is good organisation too" - Manolo Marquez
The FC Goa head coach was also irritated by the fact that the Super Cup would be held in the January window when both the ISL and the I-League will be put on hold for the AFC Asian Cup.
This means that most teams would have to essentially play without their national team players, and this will diminish the standard of the tournament.
Until now, the Super Cup was a season-ending tournament, but it has been revived to be played in the middle of the season this time around.
"When we speak about development (of Indian football), the development is good organisation too. Development is grassroots, to increase the level of ISL, it has a lot of meaning (sic). We cannot be at end of November and still don't know when we will play out the first game in the second leg," Marquez said.
"Okay, the national team will be involved with the Asian Cup, so you can say, if the national team qualifies, we will start on this day, if not, on this day," he continued. "It's not all that difficult. The Super Cup (initially) was after the ISL, now they say it will be in January. It is difficult because there is the Asian Cup. All teams will have to play without their national team players (sic)."