With ISL future in doldrums, Chennaiyin FC sack coach Owen Coyle

CHENNAI: There is no clarity yet when the next edition of the Indian Super League will start, forcing two-time champions Chennaiyin FC to go into a cost-cutting mode.After letting go of quite a few prominent players, CFC have now terminated the contract of their highly-paid head coach Owen Coyle.

Coyle, whose contract was extended by a year in October and was due to expire at the end of the upcoming season, was shown the door after he failed to replicate his ISL Season 6 heroics at the club.CFC agreed to pay a compensation fee – more than half of his per-season value – to Coyle since the Scotsman had a year left on his deal. “Chennaiyin and Coyle decided to part ways after finding a middle ground,” a source told TOI on Thursday.

The uncertainty surrounding the ISL played a part in CFC’s decision. “The club is unsure about what is going to happen to the league. Keeping that in mind, Chennaiyin did not want to have a high-value coach on their payroll,” said the source.CFC will begin their hunt for a new chief coach only when there is clarity over the upcoming ISL season. It has been learnt that the top brass decided to bite the bullet after taking into consideration the team’s poor performances across competitions.

Chennaiyin did not even come close to qualifying for the playoffs in the last ISL, finishing a lowly 11th with just 27 points from 24 matches. In the season-ending Super Cup, a knockout tournament that offered a continental spot, CFC crashed out in the first round following a 0-4 thrashing at the hands of a depleted Mumbai City FC side.Credited with developing young Indian players in the past, Coyle struggled to extract the best out of youngsters in his second spell at Chennaiyin.

Despite being backed during the transfer windows with the signings of Kiyan Nassiri, Gurkirat Singh and Lalrinliana Hnamte among others, the Scottish coach did not inspire much.At the end of last season, Coyle was optimistic about staying at the club. “Why would I not intend to be the coach when I have a contract? As far as I am led to believe, I will be the Chennaiyin coach next season,” Coyle said in a post-match interaction.

In the 2023-24 season, Coyle had achieved the club’s primary objective of making it to the ISL top-six.CFC play waiting game for next season: Like some of their ISL rivals, Chennaiyin are playing the waiting game. “We do not know whether the ISL will happen or not. We would have had to spend approximately Rs 70 lakh if we had confirmed our participation in the Durand Cup. Even if we assemble a squad, what are we supposed to do with it? We do not even have a local league where we can engage our players,” said a CFC official.