Chennaiyin FC part ways with all six foreign players

The club recently bid farewell to head coach Thomas Brdaric.

Chennaiyin FC have confirmed the departures of six first-team players after the expiration of their contracts. These consist of all foreign players, indicating that the two-time Indian Super League (ISL) champions will hire a completely new foreign contingent for next season.

Indeed, Chennaiyin FC have announced that the likes of Nasser El Khayati, Julius Duker, Kwame Karikari, Vafa Hakhamaneshi, Fallou Diagne and Petar Sliskovic will all be released after their contracts run out. This appears to be a pretty significant step from the Southern club that continue a major squad overhaul that started after the end of a disappointing 2022-23 ISL campaign.

How did the released players fare?

Out of these releases, the departures of El Khayati and Duker are probably the most significant ones – as the two midfielders had performed pretty well for the Marina Machans last season. El Khayati took the ISL by storm, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in 12 appearances for Chennaiyin FC.

Duker was probably among Chennaiyin’s most consistent players last season, as he contributed five goals (one goal, four assists) as well as remained a versatile, hard-working engine in the middle third. Sliskovic had a relatively topsy-turvy campaign, as he scored eight goals and provided four assists – but most of his contributions came in scraps.

Karikari only scored four goals and provided an assist, not being able to hit the top gear for the Marina Machans and mainly being used as a substitute. The defensive duo of Hakhamaneshi and Diagne helped their side keep three clean sheets, but failed to maintain a strong-enough defensive record as Chennaiyin FC conceded 37 goals in 20 ISL games.

Chennaiyin FC set for major summer overhaul

This decision appears to be a statement of intent from the Marina Machans, who were only able to secure an eighth-place finish in the ISL last season – despite signing so many foreign players. Chennaiyin FC have already begun their search for able replacements for these departed players.

There appears to be some uncertainty over the future of captain Anirudh Thapa at Chennaiyin FC as well, as he has been reportedly linked to an exit and possible move to another ISL side in the summer.

The Marina Machans recently also parted ways with head coach Thomas Brdaric and are currently looking for a new manager, who will probably have some input over the kind of new signings that the club makes. Overall, a really busy summer seems to be on the horizon for the two-time ISL champions as they aim to build a squad that can compete for the title next season.