Thomas Brdaric has been appointed as the new manager of Chennaiyin FC.
Former Bengaluru boss Marco Pezzaiuoli and another coach who managed a team in ISL last season was also interviewed by Chennaiyin. One of the names on the table was John Carver, but the Englishman refused to come. The club wanted an experienced coach and, after an extensive search, had to look outside for options, ultimately settling on Thomas Brdaric.
After two seasons at Vllaznia in Albania, Brdaric parted ways with the club in March. He led Vllaznia to a fourth and second place finish in the league table with 28 wins in 61 games. In 2014, the German had one of his most notable stints with Wolfsburg’s second team. He also worked for Bayer Leverkusen’s youth team as an assistant manager. The 47-year-old has mostly coached teams in Germany’s fourth division, including Rot-Weiß Erfurt, TeBe Berlin, TSV Steinbach, and TSG Neustrelitz. With the latter, he also won the fourth tier championship. Brdaric also had a short stint with Macedonian team Shkendija, whom he guided to a second-place finish in the league.
After winning the Albanian Cup and nearly missing out on the championship with Vllaznia, Thomas Brdaric was named “Coach of the Year” in 2020. The former Leverkusen player has a wealth of experience, having played for Bundesliga clubs such as Wolfsburg, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Koln, and Hannover 96 during his career. The new Chennaiyin coach, however, has won very little in his management career, with the Albanian Cup and a fourth-tier championship being the only silverware in his cabinet.
Brdaric’s appointment is intriguing because his coaching resume isn’t particularly impressive. With the overhaul of Chennai’s squad and managerial changes, the Southern club is undoubtedly embarking on a new project, and Thomas Brdaric’s appointment as manager is an interesting one. Chennaiyin will be hoping that the German can lead them to a title after four seasons without one.
Chennaiyin FC’s co-owner Vita Dani quoted, “We are delighted to have Thomas Brdaric lead the team in our first real long season. We are well aware of the impact he has had at every club that he has coached and we aspire to replicate the same at Chennaiyin. We believe that his philosophy and playing style is in line with our vision.”
So far, Chennaiyin FC has been very busy in the market, having signed and announced Gurmukh Singh, Sourav Das, Jiteshwor Singh, Monotosh Chakladar, Romario, and Vincy Baretto, as well as extending the contracts of Rafael Crivellaro and Anirudh Thapa.
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