What’s the story?
Indian Super League (ISL) franchise Chennaiyin FC have announced that John Gregory, the former England international, has been appointed as their head coach for the upcoming season of the IMG-Reliance-owned league. The former Aston Villa manager takes over from Italian Marco Materazzi.
In an official press release, Chennaiyin FC co-owners Mrs Vita Dani said, “We are very happy to have appointed John as our head coach. He has immense experience at the very highest level of the game both as a player and coach, and his vision and personality matches our club philosophy and ambition. We look forward to a great season under his guidance.”
John Gregory, the new coach, stated, “I am very excited to have joined Chennaiyin FC and would like to thank the club owners for believing in me and giving me this wonderful opportunity. Chennaiyin has been one of the most consistent teams in the ISL so far and I want to continue the great work done by Marco Materazzi in the first three seasons.”
In case you didn’t know…
Earlier this year, in March Chennayin FC had parted ways with former coach Materazzi. In his three-year stint at the helm, the Italian Word Cup winner led the Super Machans to one semi-final appearance and one title victory. However, the team failed to qualify for the knockout stage last year.
The heart of the matter
Gregory, who has over four decades of experience in football, said he was determined to help the club win the trophy back for the fans and the people of the state.
Having made his debut as a player in 1972, the former midfielder played for the likes of Northampton Town, Queens Park Rangers and Derby County and notched up more than 600 appearances in English football. He even made it to the national team and featured six times for The Three Lions.
He started his coaching career at Portsmouth before enjoying spells at Plymouth Argyle and Wycombe Wanderers. Gregory’s most successful stint as a coach, however, came with Aston Villa in the English Premier League. Under his guidance, Villa finished as runners-up in the FA Cup in 2000.
His most recent stint was at Crawley Town, a third division club in England. However, he stepped down in 2014, citing health issues.
What’s next?
Now that they have finalised the appointment of the head coach, Chennayin FC will look to turn their focus to player recruitment. The ISL starts in the latter half of the year, this time with two new teams.
Author’s take
There is no doubt that Gregory, with his vast experience, will bring a lot to the table. He did a remarkable job at Villa. If he can replicate that here, Chennayin will be the team to beat in the upcoming ISL.
