CHENNAI: A day after I-League outfit Chennai City FC sacked Robin Charles Raja, V Soundararajan is set to fill the vacancy left behind by the former TN Santosh Trophy coach.
Express understands that Soundararajan, one of the few in the country to hold an AFC Pro License, was interviewed for the job and is set to be announced as Chennai City’s coach on Thursday. Sources close to the club revealed that he had met all the players late on Wednesday night, ahead of being announced. While one or two other candidates had been interviewed for the post as well, club officials finally settled on Soundararajan.
The 53-year-old Soundararajan has coached Southern Railways and the Tamil Nadu Santosh Trophy team in the past and obtained his pro license during an AFC camp in Germany in 2005. His playing career has seen him turn out for Indian Railways and for TN in the Santosh Trophy.
Earlier Chennai City general secretary Vikram Murali, commenting on Robin’s departure, said that they would look to install a coach from the state itself. “Our aim, when we got into the I-League, was to promote talent from the state and this is something that we will look to continue. We are looking to install a new coach from the state itself.”
No regrets for Robin
Though he was told of the decision to relieve him of his duties on Tuesday evening, it was not until Wednesday morning that Chennai City officials announced the decision to sack Robin.
But Robin himself revealed to this newspaper that he had no regrets. “I am happy with what I did at the club. I was able to put a structure in place from scratch and brought together all players except the strikers. And we had a lot of creditable displays against Bengaluru FC and Mohun Bagan, two of the biggest clubs in the country. I am happy that I got out when I did,” he said.
The strike against Robin, it is thought, is that he did not give much of a chance to Tamil Nadu talent like A Raegan and Michael Soosairaj. But he clarified that it was not for a lack of belief in their abilities. “I played with these players in the Santosh Trophy and know their strengths and weaknesses. Raegan and Soosai are good but they need time to adjust physically to the I-League. They would have got a run at some point of the season. But unfortunately, I did not have the time to ease them in. It is unfortunate that the players have been given more time, but I have not.”
Robin also had only good words for his successor Soundararajan. “He got his license ten years before I did, so what can I say about him? I wish him all the best.”
vishnu.prasad@newindianexpress.com