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Chennaiyin FC have been a part of the Indian Super League since its inaugural season in 2014. They’ve been one of the most successful teams in the league in the last seven years and have lifted the ISL trophy twice. Only ATK Mohun Bagan have seen more league success with their three ISL triumphs. Chennaiyin have also qualified for the playoffs four times and reached the final on three occasions.
However, the last few years have been quite erratic, to say the least. Their performances and the eventual results have varied drastically, and last season was another negative experience for the team.
They finished a lowly eighth in the ISL 2020-21 table and had the worst scoring slump in the league. In 20 games, they found the back of the net only 17 times while every other team managed to score at least 20 goals. Chennaiyin FC will be hoping for more stability and efficiency, especially in front of goal this time around.
How do things stack up for CFC this time?
Ahead of the new season, Chennaiyin FC appointed Anirudh Thapa as the captain of the team. The 23-year-old is one of the most promising midfielders in Indian football, and leadership duties are expected to get even more out of him.
New head coach Bozidar Bandovic replaces last season’s manager Csaba Laszlo. Bandovic has worked with several high-profile clubs like Olympiacos and Buriram United and has experienced management in both the UEFA Champions League and the AFC Champions League.
During the summer, Chennaiyin have almost revamped their entire foreign contingent and have also brought in a good mix of exciting Indian talents. They also extended the contracts of important players like Rafael Crivellaro, Rahim Ali, Reagan Singh and Edwin Vanspaul until 2023.
CFC transfers for 2021/22
Chennaiyin FC have recruited five new overseas players to replace their outgoing footballers. They’ve added forwards Mirlan Murzaev and Lukasz Gikiewicz, midfielders Ariel Borysiuk and Vladimir Koman, and defender Slavko Damjanovic. The overseas contingent is expected to add strength across all profiles and positions.
The Machans also signed a few exciting Indian talents. They got Debjit Majumder and Narayan Das from SC East Bengal, and Salam Ranjan Singh and Jobby Justin from ATK Mohun Bagan. The signing of Ninthoi Meetei from NorthEast United could prove to be a promising affair for the club,
Arrivals
| Name | Position | From |
| Ariel Borysiuk | CDM | Jagiellonia |
| Slavko Damjanovic | CB | FK TSC |
| Mirlan Murzaev | RW | Dordoi Bishkek |
| Vladimir Koman | ATM | Hatta Club |
| Narayan Das | LB | SC East Bengal |
| Deepak Devrani | CB | Gokulam Kerala FC |
| Lukasz Gikiewicz | CF | East Riffa |
| Debjit Majumder | GK | SC East Bengal |
| Ninthoi Meetei | RW | NorthEast United FC |
| Syed Suhail Pasha | ATM | Chennai City FC |
Departures
| Name | Position | From |
| Isma | CF | (free agent) |
| Enes Sipovic | CB | Kerala Blasters |
| Eli Sabia | CB | Jamshedpur FC |
| Memo | DM | (free agent) |
| Manu Lanzarote | ATM | (free agent) |
| Deepak Tangri | DM | ATK Mohun Bagan |
| Thoi Singh | RW | (free agent) |
| Lalchhuanmawia | LB | RoundGlass |
| Abhijit Sarkar | ATM | (free agent) |
| Karanjit Singh | GK | (free agent) |
CFC squad for 2021/22
Goalkeepers: Vishal Kaith, Debjit Majumder, Devansh Dabas, Samik Mitra.
Defenders: Balaji Ganesan, Davinder Singh, Deepak Devrani, Slavko Damjanovic, Narayan Das, Salam Ranjan Singh, Reagan Singh, Edwin Vanspaul, Jerry Lalrinzuala.
Midfielders: Anirudh Thapa, Vladimir Koman, Ariel Borysiuk, Rafael Crivellaro, Subhadip Majhi, Germanpreet Singh, Melroy Assisi, Aman Chetri, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Ninthoi Meetei.
Forwards: Jobby Justin, Rahim Ali, Mirlan Murzaev, Lukasz Giekiewicz, Johnson Mathews, Suhail Pasha.
Prediction
Chennaiyin FC have retained most of their Indian core players, and given the ISL’s reduction in overseas players policy, that seems like a wise move to make. They’ve also added depth to their squad with the signings in the summer.
The presence of players like Rafael Crivellaro, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Ninthoi Meetei and Anirudh Thapa means that there won’t be a shortage on creativity. It’s now up to the goalscorers to get the job done.
Goalscoring could be an area they struggle with once again this season. Their overseas forwards aren’t reputed finishers, and new signing Jobby Justin could be rusty from the lack of game time at ATK Mohun Bagan as well as struggles with injuries. Chennaiyin also conceded a couple of goals each in all three pre-season fixtures and their defenders will need to perform better in the league.
Last season Chennaiyin FC’s attackers were bogged down by the slow approach preferred by Csaba Laszlo and the onus will now be on Bandovic to identify the strengths of his players and look to maximise them in his system. The Machans will need to get off the blocks quickly in order to build momentum early on in the season.
Qualifying for the playoffs is the least that the fans expect from the side. For a team that is so attuned to success, that should be the bare minimum. CFC’s strong Indian contingent does make them a strong contender to claim one of the top three spots.
