Here are the five players from Chennaiyin FC’s club’s history.
It’s been exactly five years since Chennaiyin FC was formed following a suggestion drop for a Bengaluru based club. It is owned by MS Dhoni, Abhishek Bachchan, and Vita Dani – who have matched the expectations after establishing the first football club in Tamil Nadu after the establishment of Chennai City FC. They were beforehand known as Nehru FC.
The Blues have seen both good and hard times. The club boasts the record two Indian Super League trophies, while securing a paltry single-digit points tally in a single ISL campaign, which is the least points gathered by any side in the tournament history. They even qualified for the AFC Cup, but couldn’t break into the knockout stages of the tournament.
Even though there was collective hard work from every single player who have donned the famous blue shirt, we shall look at five best ones from that list over the last few years.
#5 Henrique Sereno:
Henrique Sereno plied his trade with Chennaiyin FC only for a season, but his absence in the backline has caused sudden calamity. His partnership with Mailson Alves worked wonders until the Portuguese defender decided not to re-sign with the two-time Champions.
The Blues finished second to Bengaluru FC in the Group stages, but performed when it really mattered in the playoffs. Before conceding just 19 goals in the league stages, they breezed past FC Goa in the last four, followed by a stellar display against Bengaluru at their own backyard in the finals, clinching the second title in the club’s history.
Not only did Henrique Sereno get the timely interventions and tackles right, but his aerial prowess from the corners and free-kicks caused havoc and changed the course of the games frequently. He scored some important goals, helping the club’s course to gain results over 18 games.
Longevity does play in selecting the club’s best players, but Sereno is arguably the best talented defender in Chennaiyin club’s history. The fact that his absence has stirred an enormous problem speaks volumes. New signings Lucian Goian and Misah Sainghani are left with a huge void to fill in the upcoming season.
#4 Raphael Augusto:
Conceivably the detested man in Chennai currently, Raphael Augusto’s talent and contributions cannot be written off straightforwardly because of a transfer to the fierce rivals Bengaluru FC.
The Brazilian played an integral part in the title victories under Marco Materazzi and John Gregory. The attacking midfielder was suspended was 2015 final, but came stronger two seasons later with a goal to seal the victory against Bengaluru FC in Kanteerava Stadium.
During his four-year stint with the club, Raphael Augusto made 64 appearances, while finding the back of the net on 8 occasions. With a samba spice in his game, the Brazilian won the hearts of thousands of Chennaiyin fans, before eventually shattering them.
The 28-year-old’s ability to carry the ball from the midfield to attack made him one of the feared midfielders in the league. Additionally, the strikers and wingers benefit through his sublime through balls.
#3 Jeje Lalpekhlua:
Jeje Lalpekhlua, kindly known as the ‘Mizoram Sniper’, has been omnipresent with the club since it’s establishment in 2014. The 28-year-old has endured a tough year, following a horrendous league goal drought and suffering a calamitous knee injury, ruling himself out for the majority of the upcoming campaign.
The Indian International has scored 22 goals from 64 appearances for the club. While his goal tally might not be as higher as desired, his ability to link up with other forwards and feed others are the underestimated factors.
Under the Italian Marco Materazzi, Jeje’s partnership with Stiven Mendoza terrorised the defenders. Under a new system under John Gregory, the former Mohun Bagan striker scored nine goals from 21 appearances in the 2017/18 season, but it was followed by an abysmal campaign, as the whole team succumbed to bad form.
Fans are waiting for his return date from an injury layoff as the Blues continue to strengthen the forward line.
#2 Elano Blumer:
Former Manchester City midfielder Elano Blumer spent two years in Marina Arena before being forced out of the league due to a complex issue after 2015 final in Goa.
The Brazilian, who is renowned for his free-kicks, struck from a long-range for the first time in the league. Those staggering numbers helped him clinch the golden boot in the augural season. For the second consecutive season, the attacking midfielder signed for the Blues. The team did not enjoy great success, but the signing of Stiven Mendoza changed the club’s fate.
He had great telepathy with the Colombian and Jeje Lalpekhlua. Additionally, he scored some important goals en route to their first Championship victory four years ago. He light up the whole league with his inch-perfect free-kicks and become pivotal for Marco Materazzi.
His two-year spell with the club saw him make 26 appearances and find the back of the net 12 times.
#1 Stiven Mendoza:
Stiven Mendoza is far by best the talented player to have represented Chennaiyin FC. The Colombian joined the Blues on a permanent transfer in 2014, showing glimpses during his early days in a new league.
Despite scoring just four goals during his debut campaign with the new club, Brazilian club Corinthians lured him during the summer of 2015. He got regular game time in the South American continent, but swapped them for Chennaiyin FC on loan until the end of the season.
Coming back as a highly-esteemed product, Mendoza found the back of the net 13 times out of 16 appearances, including the brace against FC Goa in 2015 final. With those unbelievable numbers, the Colombian deservingly lifted the ISL trophy and golden boot – sweeping the collective and team accolades for the season.
The Blues have not enjoyed possession-based attacking football since the correlated departure of Marco Materazzi and Stiven Mendoza.
