Chennai City appoint new head coach, former Barcelona scout as Director of Youth Football

DAYS AFTER AVOIDING RELEGATION by the skin of their teeth, Chennai City FC have already begun to plan a future where that threat does not befall them again.

Today, the club hired two important coaches with a goal to develop the first team as well as their youth setup. From club sources, TFG has learned that Mohammad Akbar Bin Abdul Nawas, former Singapore youth team and Tampines Rovers coach, has been appointed as their new head coach, while Spaniard Jordi Gris Vila has taken on the role of the Director of Youth Football at CCFC.

Mr Nawas, a former S-League and Singapore youth team player, has been active in coaching for the last 7 years. He coached the national team's junior sides at various age group and also managed multiple top flight clubs in Singapore and Philippines. As a Singaporean he is fluent in Tamil, which makes him uniquely qualified to coach Chennai City, given the heavy presence of local players in the club's first team.

Jordi Vila, meanwhile, is a Barcelona native and has spent several years as a technical scout for FC Barcelona and Manchester City. He was also the Technica Director of Global Cebu FC's academy in Philippines.

Appointing these two coaches at the same time is not a coincidence. The two men have worked together before and appear to share similar schools of thought when it comes to football management, A statement from Jordi Vila makes it clear that both these veteran gaffers will work together to establish a close co-existence and direct pipeline between the youth setup and the first team,

"At Global Cebu FC of the Philippines as the Director of all the Young Football... I coincided with Akbar in what was a great season for him... I share there (sic) with Albar ideas and methodology of work, and I'm sure that we will do a great job together, both in the First Team and in the Young Football. I'm ready for help the club in all,also in the Scouting Area. I'm very happy to arrive Chennai CIty FC and can work together with a great Coach like Akbar."

Earlier this season, Chennai City FC owner Rohit Ramesh had told TFG in an exclusive interview that the club is working towards building a major football academy in Chennai connected to a network of grassroot centres across the state; with the goal to bring up new talent and provide them a direct avenue to play at the highest level. These appointments seem to fall in line with that same long term plan.

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