Owen Coyle discusses ISL's impact on Indian Football and Chennaiyin FC's prospects

Owen Coyle, the prominent figure in Indian football as the head of Chennaiyin FC, recently shared insights on the influence of the Indian Super League (ISL) on the nation's football, his experiences with Indian players, and the passionate fanbase of Chennaiyin FC. Coyle said “ISL has elevated Indian football and driven it ahead”

Coyle admitted that he has worked wonders with similar players in his previous clubs, stating the important roles that the duo of Boris Singh (now with FC Goa) and Ritwik Das played in his title triumph with Jamshedpur FC. Similarly, the tactician was one of the first ones in the country to tap upon the talent of Lallianzuala Chhangte, back when the winger scored seven goals en route Chennaiyin FC’s runners-up finish in ISL 2019-20.

“I am a coach that even during my time at Jamshedpur FC, took boys that couldn’t get a game, clubs deemed that they aren’t good enough – Boris Singh, who is a young player, went to a huge club (erstwhile ATK Mohun Bagan), but couldn’t get a game because they had good players. But these players need an opportunity. Even Ritwik Das is a national team player now and someone who is going to get better, going to excel. He couldn’t get a game at Kerala Blasters FC. I saw him do well for Real Kashmir FC and he was my type of player, I brought him there,” Coyle explained.

“There are many such stories like that in Indian football that the ISL has helped because of the elevation that it has given, and with the clubs becoming far more professional, organised, and having a real structure, which is going to drive Indian football ahead and the ISL deserves a massive credit for that,” the tactician said, applauding the ISL ecosystem for giving rise to such stories.

“We have passionate, colourful, and vocal fans”

“There has been a development in the fan bases. We know how passionate, colourful, and vocal they are. Of course, with each club, there is a hard core set of fans who are going to be there supporting the team whether they win, lose or draw. What we need to do is to encourage a lot more to be like that, and not to be like in a lot of countries, where they only support the winning teams. What we have to do is to have that consistent number supporting a team through thick and thin,” he explained.

Chennaiyin FC vs Mumbai City FC

Despite Chennaiyin FC's current mid-table position with 15 points from 14 games, Coyle expressed optimism about the club's potential resurgence, aiming to compete for trophies. He discussed the challenges of competing with limited resources and credited ISL for elevating the overall standards of Indian clubs.

Coyle acknowledged the passionate and vocal fanbase of Chennaiyin FC, emphasizing the need for consistent support through thick and thin. He highlighted the development in fan bases, encouraging more fans to support their teams regardless of the outcomes.

As Chennaiyin FC prepares for a crucial fixture against Mumbai City FC on February 23, 2023, Coyle is determined to replicate past successes and guide the team towards playoff qualification. The match is expected to showcase the fervent support of both clubs' fanbases.

Where to Watch:

Football enthusiasts can catch the action on various channels in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Malayalam. Streaming options include JioCinema and OneFootball, enabling fans to follow the ISL matches live across more than 190 countries.

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