Two-time Indian Super League champion Chennaiyin FC had a close shave with relegation last campaign after finishing second-to-last on the points table with just two wins. Bearing the brunt of the ignominy was head coach Clifford Miranda, who was leading the franchise for the first time.
But the management has stuck with the former India international, offering him a multi-year contract extension ahead of the 2026-27 season. Chennaiyin co-owner Vita Dani reiterated her faith in the Goan coach.
“It’s very simple. We believe in India, we believe the future is India, and we believe in Clifford. We believe we can do much better with Indian coaches and many other franchises, as you will see, will also now bet on many Indian coaches,” Dani told reporters on the sidelines of Ultimate Table Tennis in Goa.
“If you look globally, we need to have a team that will qualify for the world cup. It’s a shame if you ask me that so many franchisees are putting in so much effort, and we are not able to put a team together that can qualify. That’s not possible. Something we are not doing right, and we need to correct that. At least in Chennai, we have produced some great players, who have gone to other franchises, which is fine because we are here to promote the game, not only compete,” she added.
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Last season also saw Chennaiyin’s first home match get delayed after the pitch was made unfit for play due to an A. R. Rahman concert and a corporate event at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Last month, Dani had met with Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna.
On whether matters like support and availability of the stadium were discussed, she said, “We have full support of the Tamil Nadu government and the sports authority of Tamil Nadu. The new sports minister is an athlete himself, and he will only think what is in the interest of the game. We want to make sure that not only for our game, but for every other game, there is full support and no delays, which can only happen if you work with the local government. So there is no issue at all. We are very happy and we’ll make the State proud with our Indian coach.”
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Published on Jul 26, 2026