The Chennai City FC effect :
In the first season, they managed a 8th place finish. But in just their third season in 2018-19, they became Champions of India by lifting the I league trophy. That feat gained nationwide attention as the club did something close to Aizawl’s dream run in 16-17. Winning the league in only their third season, and that too with many local players was seen as a commendable feat.
Michael Soosairaj, who hails from a football frenzy coastal town Kanyakumari, got the attention of Indian football fans in the first season. He always made the headlines of local newspapers whenever Tamil Nadu played in the Santosh Trophy. But after his I league debut, he was able to showcase his talent to the rest of the country. Along with him, players like Edwin Sydney Vanspaul and Nandhakumar Sekar stood out from the team. It wasn’t too long till they were signed by ISL clubs. Soosairaj is now considered one of the best creative midfielders in the country and made his debut for the national team in 2019. Nandhakumar too played for the U23 national team and is now a regular starter for Odisha FC.
When Chennai City had to move out of Chennai, they found a good base at Coimbatore. It was something new for the locals and it gained significant support from the new city. It also made the action shift away from the capital making it accessible for the fans who can’t travel all the way to Chennai to watch a professional football match live.
Chennai City FC has become a platform for local players to pursue their dreams of playing professionally. Moreover in 2017, the club made a partnership with top division Finnish side JS Hercules adding to their professionalism. The likes of Alexander Romario, Srinivasan Pandian and Ajith Kumar came up from the Chennai City team and now find themselves in big ISL clubs. Romario has become a regular starter for FC Goa. He has 4 assists and 1 goal so far. Safe to say, the hidden talents in the state were made visible by Chennai City’s entry into the I League. The situation is almost the same elsewhere in India where football isn’t too popular.
One professional team from a state playing in the I League or ISL can unearth a lot of hidden talents. Chennai City is an example of that. If we could see professional clubs from every state, then there will be abundant supply of quality to the national leagues and it would help to find new talents. Tamil Nadu can be considered the next football hotspot in India if the sport continues to grow in popularity and with quality players coming from the state, it can establish its name among the traditional football hubs in the country.
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