u/krubs03

[removed]

We started this sub a few months ago with just the intention of having a space for every Tamil football fan with some good banter, tactical discussions and healthy debates.

And now we've reached our first milestone: 100 members, whilst having 1400 weekly visitors 🥹

Thanks to each and every member of this sub who has contributed to this achievement of ours. Continue being as active as you can 🫂

Pesuvom, pagiruvom, valaruvom 💕

I've been an ardent fan of CFC ever since the inception of the ISL in 2014. The excitement of a league for football in India and a team that represented Chennai, that too being co-owned by someone like MS Dhoni (!!!!), was just too much for someone like me, who was a CSK kanni and an even bigger football fan.

For the first few years, CFC represented so much hope, so much grit and strength. We used to be a serious team, who everyone feared going up against.

That win in the 2015 final with THAT comeback against FC Goa. The stupendous performance of Stiven Mendoza throughout that season, and the final as well. The magical players like Elano, Mendy, Edel Bete, Jayesh Rane, Dhanachandra, Jeje. We used to dominate games, play effective football, and were just so entertaining to watch.

And the second title win within just a few years, in the 2017-18 season, where we dunked so hard on our eternal rivals, Bengaluru FC, in the final game at their own fortress, the Sree Kanteerava Stadium. I still remember the goals from Mailson that day and how the whole stadium went so silent after the final whistle. That was such a statement. That whole season was filled with a lot of fun and just such positive vibes. John Gregory, the brilliant tactician, and his army of men, led by Sereno, fortified by Inigo Calderon and Mailson, orchestrated by Thoi Singh and Raphael Augusto, with the flair of Gregory Nelson, and the lethality from Jeje.

But unfortunately, that wasn't a start of something beautiful but just the only bit of success that this team would have from then, until today. After that win, the team fell apart. All the key pieces were sold or left the team once their contracts expired. The team which won 2 titles within the first 4 seasons of the league felt like a shadow of itself from then on.

The 2018-19 season was one of the worst seasons that this team had to go through. And that continued into the 2019-20 season as well, until Owen Coyle took over the team. Suddenly, there was a shift in the mindset and the team that looked so dull was suddenly scoring for fun, dominating games and finishing the most impossible of chances. The assists from Crivellaro, the goals from Valskis, the solidity of Lucian Goian in the backline, and the saves from Karanjit Singh. The team scraped through, with contributions from everyone, and reached the finals of that season where we eventually ended up losing to ATK Mohun Bagan.

Remember how I said that the 2018-19 season was ONE of the worst seasons of this team? Well, the harsh truth has been that almost every other season ever since then has been just as worse, if not horrible. No flair, no fun, no joy, no grit, no strength. Not a semblance of anything that this team had been known for. The players didn't show any interest and the team felt entirely down and out. everyone who once feared this team ended up thinking of us as an easy 3 points. Our South-side rivals (Bengaluru, Kerala Blasters, Hyderabad) all seemed to be playing much better than us. There were few glimpses of hope here and there but nothing solid.

And maybe this 2026 season was the worst of them all. The team couldn't score goals, the players couldn't string together 3 passes in a row, the defence looked toothless and there was this constant negativity surrounding the team throughout. We ended up with just 9 points in 13 games. Missing the wooden-spoon only because of how much worse Mohammedan SC had been.

And maybe that was needed in order to trigger this massive resurgence that the team seems to be moving towards now. On the eve of 10th July, the team had officially announced the signing of Brison Fernandes, an exciting player with experience in the league. They had then announced that the manager, Clifford Miranda will be continuing for at least until the end of the upcoming season, as was expected.

But then something astonishing was confirmed just 4 days ago. The team decided to part ways with ALL of its overseas players, along with a few stalwarts like Mandar, Dinliana, etc. In total, there were ELEVEN players were bid goodbye with just one Instagram post. To me, that felt harsh but maybe also the most ballsy move that the team had made in the last few years. Not just that, but also choosing to entirely trust the manager and make signings according to his recommendations.

The team has already signed multiple exciting Indian players like Ayush Dev Chettri, Namgyal Bhutia, Mohammed Saheef, Glan Martins, Bryce Miranda. They've also extended the contracts of gems from the previous season like Maheson Singh, Prakadeeswaran and Klusner Pereira. They're now chasing for the signatures of experienced overseas defenders like Nuno Reis and Carlos Delgado, along with a few more promising youngsters like Dippendu Biswas and Hrithik Tiwari.

The path for the team now looks very clear. A team filled with youth, aimed at playing fast-paced, attacking football, with a sprinkle of experienced players here and there. The path looks exciting and the plan does sound too good. But there have been instances in the past when an amazing transfer window has been followed by yet another abysmal season. But maybe this season is different? Or maybe not? Or maybe we do end up winning our third title? Or we end up in the last place?

So many questions. So much uncertainty. But one thing is certain: there are clear signs of excitement about everything that is happening around this team. There is enough reason for all of us to be invested in this upcoming ISL season. Yes, the league is broken and the AIFF is doing everything it can to destroy Indian football as a whole. But, we can only hope for the best. Let's hold our heads high and dive into this once again with just as much hope and support that we can provide. Because that's just the only thing we can do, at this point.

And well, isn't that just the point of football, in general?

Chennaiyin, Till I Die 💙

Daily once indha Perez ku "Negreira Negreira" nu katthala'naa thookam varaadhu pola 🫥