Hyderabad FC full-back Souvik Chakrabarti believes Manuel Marquez deserves full credit for his success in the Hero Indian Super League. Chakrabarti started off as a midfielder before moving to the full-back role thanks to his versatility and adaptability. Last season, Manuel Marquez moved him back into midfield where he excelled and played an integral part in them winning the tournament.
“Coach Manolo has unearthed plenty of young talent, so most people think he’s only good with youngsters. But trust me, he manages senior players like me equally well,” Souvik Chakrabarti said about Manuel Marquez. “He’s a great human being and always stands by his players. On the field, he’s very serious but off it, he loves to have fun with us. I haven’t seen many coaches in the ISL who are tactically as strong. I had been deployed as a full-back since 2015, but coach Manolo moved me back into midfield. He deserves full credit for my success.”
“The ISL win was very special as I won it outside Bengal. Winning trophies with Kolkata clubs can put you under the spotlight, but winning outside your comfort zone is more challenging,” he added. “It depends on a team’s mindset. The best thing about Hyderabad is that nobody panics after conceding a goal. The team doesn’t rely on just one individual, we play a team game. Coach Manolo has complete control over the team and he’s a master tactician. His half-time speeches were very inspiring and he made us work very hard in training to capitalize on set-pieces.”
“They are very supportive. When I joined Hyderabad FC in January 2020, the club was in a very bad situation. They showed faith in me and offered me a long-term contract. It was a big thing for me at the time,” Chakrabarti said. “Midway through the 2020-21 season, I had to return to Kolkata as my father had fallen seriously ill. I missed nearly 10 matches, yet the club supported me a lot during that period.”
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