S'pore coaches work wonders From relegation candidates to I-League champions in a year, Chennai City proved there are more to football miracles than just Leicester City's stunning English Premier League triumph in 2016. In achieving the improbable, head coach Akbar Nawas and his assistant K. Balagumaran also showed that Singaporean trainers are capable of producing such magical moments after leading the Indian club to the league title on Saturday. The duo are believed to be the first local coaches to win a professional football league outside South-east Asia. Former Tampines Rovers coach Akbar told The Straits Times yesterday: "There is great satisfaction after accepting the challenge of taking over a relegation-threatened team, and then winning the league within a year." When the 43-year-old took over the reins last year, Chennai had three games to stave off relegation from the I-League. They beat Churchill Brothers 3-1, lost 7-1 to East Bengal, before securing safety with a 2-1 win over Minerva Punjab in their final match. A year later, the remarkable turnaround was completed in front of 8,000 fans at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu on Saturday with a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Minerva as both club and head coach clinched their first league title. For Balagumaran, this is his second league title as assistant to V. Sundram Moorthy after winning the 2013 Malaysian Super League title with the LionsXII.
A SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT There is great satisfaction after accepting the challenge of taking over a relegation-threatened team, and then winning the league within a year. AKBAR NAWAS, Chennai City head coach, on the I-League side's dream season.
With 13 wins, four draws and three defeats, Chennai amassed 43 points, one more than second-placed East Bengal. And they did it in style, scoring 48 goals in 20 matches, and never relinquishing their place at the top of the 11-team league from the third match week. The Times of India summarised their triumph as "befitting their dominant campaign, the fulcrum of which was a sustained possession-based football". Akbar said: "Winning the title was the end result of good scouting, our attacking football philosophy, how we trained, prepared and executed our plans during the games. "The club gave me the freedom to impart this to the players despite initial scepticism about whether this will be successful in India. "I never lost sleep over the title race because we were focused and trusted our processes - there was great synergy among the owner, backroom staff and players. In fact, I lost sleep only after we won, with the many phone calls and text messages coming in!" Astutely building the team around five Spaniards from Europe's lower leagues and former S-League star Jozef Kaplan, Akbar also made room for local talents to shine.
PUTTING THE SHINE ON When we got here, the players we had were not from football academies, they were from the streets and so unpolished... now they have won their first professional league title. K. BALAGUMARAN, on the humble backgrounds of many of their players.
Incredibly, Chennai won the league without a single Indian international in their squad. Yet, the goals flowed from every department. Striker Pedro Manzi may be the league's joint-top scorer with 21 goals, but the winning goals against Minerva came from 20-year-old centre-back Gaurav Bora. Balagumaran said: "When we got here, the players we had were not from football academies, they were from the streets and so unpolished. "Many of them are playing in their first professional season and now they have won their first professional league title. "Credit has to go to Akbar for his attacking philosophy because defending was not our strength - we drew 3-3 with Neroca after blowing a 3-0 lead - and to the players for being open to his ideas. "This is definitely the highlight of my career, but I hope there is more to come." That could well be the case as Chennai are now eligible for the 2020 AFC Champions League qualifiers, while sources also told ST that the duo are now on the All India Football Federation's radar, with India's national coach position currently vacant. Representatives from Swiss club FC Basel, who have a 26 per cent equity stake in the Indian club, were at Chennai's coronation and are said to be impressed by the work of Akbar and Balagumaran. While Akbar declined to comment on speculation over his future as he has one more year left on his contract, Balagumaran said: "I hope this achievement shows there are good coaches from Singapore and opens the door for more Singaporean coaches to venture abroad. "If we can start from humble beginnings, work hard with what we have and still find success, there is no reason local coaches can't aim for a job in a professional league in Asia, or perhaps youth teams in Europe." Growing match-fixing probe in tennis snares more players FILE - In this May 28, 2016 file photo, a player's shadow is pictured as he returns the ball during the French Open tennis tournament at Zimbabwe: Shooting Stars Player Nabbed in Match-Fixing Probe Brawn definition is - the flesh of a boar. How to use brawn in a sentence. Brains Over Brawn | Science Signaling Ole aiming for European glory LONDON • Manchester United can ride their resurgence to mount a realistic challenge for the Champions League, said Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is edging closer to becoming the club's permanent manager. Man Utd manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opens up on why his job Palace rout Leicester to step up pressure on Puel | Pictures Pep Guardiola's bid to win the Champions League for the first time since 2011 will come under threat from his old friend Mauricio Pochettino when Manchester City face Tottenham in the quarter-final second leg later on Wednesday. Guardiola's side must overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit at the Etihad Driving - No Room for Complacency! The HSAW Act 2015, s. 36 states "…The PCBU (read: the principal contractor and the forest manager) must ensure, so far as 'No room for complacency' on unemployment - BBC News Everton 4-0 Manchester City: Pep's Citizens dismantled by impressive Toffees 01/15/2017 4:28 PM It was a performances for the ages as Everton provide another setback for City in one of the Pep Guardiola says Everton are a top side that have impressed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has promised Manchester United will go on the attack against Paris Saint-Germain in a bid to qualify for the Champions League quarterfinals. PSG outplayed United 2-0 at Old Trafford last month to take complete control of their last-16 tie and Solskjaer's side will be without inspirational midfielder Paul Pogba due to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tells Manchester United to go all out on Striker Olivier Giroud said on Wednesday he has been approached by other clubs to play for them next season, but he added he wanted to extend his stay Chelsea. The Frenchman however pointed out that staying at Stamford Bridge would depend on if manager Maurizio Sarri could offer him regular first Olivier Giroud demands important role at Chelsea FC next Qatar thrash UAE amid shoe barrage to reach Asian Cup final getty, Francois Nel Qatar punished unwelcoming hosts United Arab Emirates 4-0 in a politically charged clash marred by disgraceful behaviour from shoe-throwing fans Tuesday to reach their first Asian Cup final. Football: Qatar thrash UAE amid shoe barrage to reach Asian Bayern eye Chelsea teen, Football News & Top Stories - The
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