Former national team head coach Manolo Marquez has raised concerns over ISL clubs prioritizing local fixtures over national duty after only 16 of 26 selected players reported to India's camp in Bengaluru.
Former Indian national football team head coach Manolo Marquez has criticized Indian Super League (ISL) clubs for prioritizing domestic commitments over national team preparations, following the non-arrival of 10 players at the Blue Tigers' national camp in Bengaluru.
Ahead of India's upcoming friendly fixtures against Panama on September 25, 2026, five-time World Champions Brazil on October 3 at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium, and Uruguay on October 6, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and ISL teams agreed to release players on September 14—a week before the official FIFA international window starts on September 21. However, only 16 out of the 26 selected squad members have reported to the camp.
The 10 missing players belong primarily to Kolkata outfits East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. Reigning Indian champions East Bengal retained Prabhsukhan Singh Gill, Anwar Ali, Jay Gupta, and Edmund Lalrindika for their AFC Champions League 2 group stage match against Jordan's Al-Hussein SC. Because continental fixtures enhance India's AFC club coefficient rankings, neither Marquez nor the Indian football fraternity raised concerns regarding East Bengal's players.
Conversely, Mohun Bagan retained their players to compete in the local Calcutta Football League (CFL) against United Sports Club on September 14, following a Durand Cup final defeat to East Bengal. Tekcham Abhishek Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad, and Manvir Singh started the state-level match, while Apuia was on the bench.
Marquez, who encountered similar release issues during his own short tenure as national team coach prior to the 2024 Intercontinental Cup, raised concerns over risking key national players in state leagues just weeks before facing global stars. Mohun Bagan previously refused to release players for the CAFA Nations League under Khalid Jamil and the Unity Cup due to timing outside the FIFA window and player salary compensation guarantees under FIFA's Club Protection Programme.
Reporting sourced from Khel Now. Photo courtesy Khel Now.