Materazzi, Chennaiyin end sojourn
CHENNAI: One of its longest-serving coaches will no longer be seen when the Indian Super League kicks off next time. Marco Materazzi will not manage former champions Chennaiyin FC for the upcoming season, the club said in a statement on Monday.
“Chennaiyin FC and Marco Materazzi have today parted company by mutual consent,” the statement said. “Chennaiyin FC is already on the lookout for a new head coach and will not make any further comment until an appointment is made.”
Materazzi also commented on his departure from the club with which he won the title in 2015. “These past three seasons have been a great adventure on a sporting and human level,” he said.
“I leave grateful to have been given the opportunity to contribute in my own modest way to the shaping of India as a football nation, and most of all, grateful to have seen firsthand the birth and growth of Chennaiyin FC. Incredible team, incredible fans, incredible India!”
The Italian World Cup winner is statistically the ISL’s most successful coach, with more wins than anyone. Materazzi took charge after Bengaluru’s ISL franchise was shifted to Chennai, and remained coach since.
Under his guidance, Chennaiyin reached the semifinals of the first edition, before claiming the crown in 2015. Materazzi’s final year in charge, though, was lacklustre, with Chennaiyin failing to qualify for the semifinals. There were times when the Italian looked less than pleased with things, even questioning his own future during a barren run.
The talk now will be about his successor. Though the club has refused to comment, sources said a search would only begin now.
“Out of respect to Materazzi, we wanted to let him know of the decision before approaching anybody. Anyway, the league will not begin before November, thanks to the U-17 World Cup, so we have enough time to find a new man,” sources revealed.
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