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#2 Chennaiyin FC: John Gregory
Famous teams managed: Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers
Chennaiyin finished second in the table last season under John Gregory after a disappointing seventh-placed finish the previous season. And he took them one step further in the playoffs by beating Bengaluru in the final at the Kanteerava Stadium. It was the second time he had beaten the Blues on their home turf.
A side built on good organisation from front to back, with veteran foreign players guiding the Indian talents, Gregory had a rich mix of experience at both ends of the pitch.
Now, he's looking to become the first coach to defend the ISL title. "I want us to be the first team to retain the trophy," the English coach said.
"It's a huge target because the reason it hasn't been done before is that the champions have always been under huge pressure from their rivals in the league."
Gregory will be presented with a new challenge as Chennaiyin make their AFC Cup debut in 2019 after having won the ISL last season. They will have to get through preliminary rounds which will lead to fixture congestion.
