Chennai City FC dedicated their I-League trophy to Jordi Villa, the former assistant coach, who did not make it to the bench even for a single competitive match in this season. But the groundwork for the 2018-19 campaign ahead was done by the Spaniard before he left for New York City FC.
Villa convinced the likes of Pedro Manzi, Nestor Gordillo and Sandro Rodriguez to come to India and try their luck in India. These players were hungry to get the taste of top-flight football and Villa made the most of the opportunity.