Khalid Jamil Named New Head Coach of The Indian Football Team by AIFF, Replaces Manolo Marquez

The Indian football team has a new head coach at last, after the AIFF Executive Committee named Khalid Jamil as the new head coach on Friday (August 1). Jamil succeeds Manolo Marquez in the role, whose short-lived tenure had plenty of issues and saw the team's results take a nose dive. 

Jamil is currently coaching Indian Super League (ISL) side Jamshedpur FC and is part of their campaign in the ongoing Durand Cup 2025. However, it seems likely that he will leave the side after the campaign ends. 

As of now, it is not clear how long his deal runs for but his first assignment would be the CAFA Cup that gets underway on August 29.

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Why AIFF Chose Khalid Jamil

Jamil is a relatively young appointment given he is 48 years old, but he has over a decade's experience of coaching football teams in India's top divisions. 

His managerial career began with Mumbai in 2009 and he has since overseen a title-winning campaign at Aizawl FC (I-League 2017) and also had brief stints in giant clubs like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. 

Jamil has also taken charge of ISL sides like NorthEast United and Jamshedpur FC and has a keen understanding of young talent in the Indian football ecosystem. 

That, along with the fact that his salary demands would be lower than other candidates, are believed to be the key reasons behind the AIFF employing him in the role. 

Interestingly, he is the first full-time Indian coach to be coaching the national team since Savio Madeira in 2012. 

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Rebuild Job on New Coach's Hands

But he walks into the role at a time when results have not been going well and there is a feeling that the sport is going backwards in India. 

Manolo Marquez's stint saw more draws and losses than wins, and the national team is in real danger of missing out on a spot in the AFC Asian Cup 2027. 

Jamil will also have to navigate the tricky job of integrating new talent into the team while also ensuring results don't take a hit, given many senior and key members of the team are in their final years.