ISL 2018-19: Being Champions Makes Us Obvious Targets, says Chennaiyin Coach John Gregory

John Gregory has stated that there will be no room for complacency considering what his side achieved last season. "Being the champions, we are now the obvious targets," stated the gaffer at the ISL media day which concluded today.

Gregory added, "During our preseason in Thailand we have been assessing our players and what I could see was that they have come back with an even better attitude than what they had 12 months ago, on and off the pitch. They've got the same kind of desire and hunger to succeed. That in itself speaks volumes to me."

"It's always good to play for Chennaiyin FC. The support we get from the fans is amazing" - Jeje Lalpekhlua

Jeje Lalpekhlua had a fruitful season last year. When asked about his stint with the reigning champions, Jeje explained: "It's always good to play for Chennaiyin FC. The support we get from the fans is amazing."

When asked about the impact of the Indian Super League on young players, Jeje opined, "Jerry (Lalrinzuala), (Anirudh) Thapa, Germanpreet (Singh) did quite well last season. This year we have Issac (Vanmalsawma) and other youngsters joining us. So the team has a balanced mix of young as well as experienced players. I hope they will do well in helping the team defend the title which is our target this year."

Chennaiyin FC will miss the services of Henrique Sereno

Chennaiyin FC will miss the services of their 2017-18 captain, Henrique Sereno, who is not a part of the squad this season. "We will miss him on and off the pitch as we were together all the time, but we have to move on," commented Iñigo Calderón. "We know that he will be supporting us all the way from Portugal so we have to do him proud by winning the title once again," he stated.

Chennaiyin FC will play their first match of the season against Bengaluru FC at Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru, on 30th September 2018.