Chennai City FC had entered the I-League in the 2016-17 season through corporate entry along with Minerva Punjab after Goan clubs Dempo SC, Salgaocar FC and Sporting Clube de Goa decided to pull out of the competition due to lack of clarity with the roadmap of Indian football.
The first two years proved to be tough for the Southern outfit as they finished on the eighth position on both occasions and were struggling to cope with the competitiveness of the top tier.
But the Rohit Ramesh-owned side did not lose heart after two disappointing campaigns and instead focused on proper planning to build a team in the third year where they went on to script a fairytale.