Football

Indian Football Embarks on New Era with Manolo Marquez at the HelmSpanish coach Manolo Marquez has taken over as the head coach of the Indian men's football team, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the nation. Marquez, who will also continue to coach FC Goa, has wasted no time in identifying areas for improvement, emphasizing the need for a shift in mentality among Indian players.With qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup out of reach, Marquez has set his sights on enhancing the overall level of the players. He believes that Indian players can achieve significant growth by stepping outside their comfort zones and playing abroad."The level of Indian players can be better and can improve faster," Marquez stated. "Everyone knows my feeling - maybe some players don't like - that they are very comfortable playing in the Indian Super League (ISL). They are very comfortable in India."Marquez stressed that playing in a more competitive environment abroad can accelerate player development. "You will grow when you play abroad. I'm not saying the top level, like the Premier League or La Liga. If you play in one division where the opponents are the same or better than you, you will improve 100 per cent," he added.While acknowledging the importance of comfort, Marquez pointed to the example of FC Goa defender Sandesh Jhingan, who had an unsuccessful stint at Croatian club HNK Sibenik. "I understand that life is very good for most of them in ISL and it's difficult for them to go abroad. For example, Sandesh tried to do it in Croatia," he said.Marquez also emphasized the crucial role of mental strength in football. "In football, technique, tactics, and physique are very important. But if this doesn't work (points to head), you cannot do anything, not only in football but also your life," he stated.The Indian men's football team will next play on September 9, 2024, in a friendly against Syria. Marquez's appointment and his focus on improving mentality and encouraging players to seek opportunities abroad signal a new era for Indian football, with the aim of raising the level of the team and achieving greater success on the international stage.

Erling Haaland, the prolific Norwegian striker for Manchester City, has acknowledged that he will continue to miss chances despite his remarkable goal-scoring record. However, he remains determined to silence critics and strive for perfection.Since joining City in 2022, Haaland has netted an astonishing 80 goals in just 84 games, helping the club secure a treble of Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup titles in his debut season. This season, he has already scored 28 goals in all competitions.Despite his impressive tally, Haaland endured a brief goal drought earlier this season, failing to score in six out of seven games. He also missed a glaring opportunity in City's recent 3-1 victory over Manchester United."I've been missing," Haaland admitted. "I miss a lot of chances. I will still keep on missing chances, I will still score goals so I'll probably miss a big chance in the future as well and people are going to criticize me and what can I do then?""Should I think of that? No. I should focus on scoring more goals and helping the team."Haaland recognizes that he has room for improvement despite his exceptional numbers. "There's a lot of things I can become better at, everything by the way," he said. "People say I'm good at scoring goals but I missed the biggest chance in the world ever two days ago so I can also become better at that."The Norwegian has worked on the mental aspect of his game, but admits that coping with lean spells can be challenging. "It's with everything in life -- if you over-think something, it's not good, if you stress in your life it's not good," he said. "My focus is to become the best possible version of myself and the main thing then is the mental part."Amidst speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid, Haaland expressed his contentment at Manchester City. "I'm really happy, especially with the people that I'm surrounded with, the manager, the directors, the board," he said. "They are a group of amazing people and I'm really happy.""If I say this now there's probably going to be a massive headline tomorrow -- 'you never know what the future brings' -- but again, I'm happy."Haaland emphasized his focus on upcoming matches rather than contract negotiations. "My focus mainly now is on the pitch," he said. "There's a lot of games. Two days ago it was a Manchester derby and now it's Champions League and next Sunday it's Liverpool so I think I should focus on that and not anything else at the moment."