Chennai City are the first team from Tamil Nadu to win an I-League title.Chennai City are the latest club tp have ended an I-League season as champions despite not being even close to a favourite at the start of the season. The club, who made their league debut only in the 2016/17 season and have been playing more than 500 kilometres away from their original home of Chennai since last season, maintained their one-point lead at the top of the table on Saturday to condemn East Bengal to a second place finish. Chennai City end the season on 43 points while East Bengal are on 42.
Indian Super League club Chennaiyin FC are technically still the defending champions of their league, although they finished the group stage with a record low points-tally.
Another one, Chennai! ????
Hearty congratulations to @ChennaiCityFC and namma @Its_PS16 on winning the @ILeagueOfficial title. ??#PoduMachiGoalu #CFCLoanWatch https://t.co/iW0Mmw7EPH
— Chennaiyin FC ???? (@ChennaiyinFC) March 9, 2019
Chennai City also received plaudits from Indian Premier League champions Chennai Super Kings, who will themselves start their title defence on March 23.
Different game. Different team.
One city. One spirit.#WhistlePodu for @ChennaiCityFC as they win their maiden title! ????— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 9, 2019
Broadcaster Joe Morrison, Minerva Punjab owner Ranjit Bajaj and Football Delhi President Shaji Prabhakaran also conveyed their congratulations. Minerva were the team that lost Chennai City on Saturday and that resulted in East Bengal finishing the season as second. Fans of the Kolkata giants have not been kind to Bajaj, as it turns out.
Been receiving death threats from @eastbengalfc fans/so sad that they actually think that we @minervapunjabfc did this on purpose-anyways congrats to @ChennaiCityFC for a fantastic season as for being champions you have to play well entire season @ILeagueOfficial & they did ????????
— Ranjit Bajaj (@THE_RanjitBajaj) March 9, 2019
Congratulations on the @ILeagueOfficial title @ChennaiCityFC ……..I love the flares!! ???????? pic.twitter.com/ocZBjfEY0C
— Joe Morrison (@joefooty) March 9, 2019
Many congratulations @ChennaiCityFC champions #HeroILeague
Another fairytale story after @AizawlFC and @minervapunjabfc in last two seasons in #IndianFootball
Probably for the last time we will be talking about an underdog or a fairytale story in Indian football. #CCFCMPFC
— Shaji Prabhakaran (@Shaji4Football) March 9, 2019
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Finally, Real Kashmir FC, whose story ranks up there with that of Chennai City’s journey to the top of the table and were part of the chasing pack for much of the season were gracious in their defeat.
Congratulations @ChennaiCityFC for becoming the @ILeagueOfficial champions. You guys had a great run. Enjoy the moment. You deserve it fully. See you guys next season.
— Real Kashmir FC (@realkashmirfc) March 9, 2019
East Bengal needed to beat Gokulam Kerala and hope for a defeat for Chennai City to complete their late-season surge and win the title. They won the match 2-1 but Chennai beat Minerva Punjab 3-1 in Coimbatore to end the season as champions.
