CHENNAI:
Chennaiyin FC coach Marco Materazzi has been long enough in football to understand that once you have reached on the top, it’s always difficult to maintain that position. Having won the ISL 2015 championship, the Italian feel the heat as defending champions. But at same time it provides a unique opportunity to him and Chennaiyin FC to repeat his success in the Indian Super League and we know he will not stop at anything less.
Chennaiyin FC staged a remarkable comeback last season after being at the bottom of the points t
able. At one stage it seemed Chennaiyin FC would fail to even qualify for the semifinals but Materazzi, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, masterminded the team’s fairy tale comeback with a 3-2 victory over FC Goa in the final.
“Last year we showed both quality and character to bounce back from the bottom of the table and make it to the playoffs. I think Chennaiyin FC eventually won the trophy, deservingly,” said Materazzi.
Can Chennaiyin FC do the same this year? “It is always more difficult to retain the title than winning it but I believe in my squad to go all the way again,” he added.
Chennaiyin FC’s success last year was built on the scoring prowess of Colombian striker Stiven Mendoza. The star striker, now playing for New York City FC in the Major League Soccer (MLS), worked his magic right through the tournament, finishing as the top scorer and the best player of the ISL. This year, Chennaiyin FC are not blessed with a talent like Mendoza who can instil fear in the most disciplined of defences and have also lost Bruno Pelissari to Delhi Dynamos but they will continue to carry a goal threat as long as they have Jeje Lalpekhlua in the team.
Jeje stood out for Chennaiyin FC with six goals and three assists last year and has since then continued with his irrepressible form, scoring goals on the international front as well.
Another big loss for the franchise is goalkeeper Edel Bete. The Armenian goalkeeper won the ISL title for two successive seasons with two different teams and has now signed-up with FC Pune City. How much of that will impact Chennaiyin FC remains to be seen but the signing of Jamaican international goalkeeper Duwayne Kerr could help calm nerves.
Marquee player and captain Elano Blumner will be another major foreign absentee this season.
Chennaiyin’s hallmark all through the ISL has been its continuity. The
This has already reflected in pre-season friendlies in Italy where Materazzi’s team has already won three successive friendlies.
“We are going to take one game at a time and are well aware that every team has improved. The ISL is a very competitive league with games coming thick and fast over a short period so for me every team stands an equal chance of making the top four and that is our first target. After that we will see how well we can do in the knockouts,” said Materazzi.
While the absence of at least three foreign stars will hold back Chennaiyin FC a little, on the positive side, the defending champions still have the likes of Bernard Mendy and Raphael Augusto to build a side around. They have picked up John Arne Riise as their new leader in defence as marquee and have increased midfield options with the addition of Delhi Dynamos medio Hans Mulder.
Not everything seems lost for Chennaiyin FC. Just like last season, they can spring another surprise, thanks to Materazzi leading from the front with his work ethic and attention to detail.
