‘I feel comfortable’: Madih Talal on time spent in India, overcoming ACL injury, and settling in at Chennaiyin FC

Talal’s time in the ISL will be especially valuable to the two-time champion, considering Chennaiyin FC recruited 15 new players over the summer after a poor last season, where it finished 13th out of 14 teams. | Photo Credit: Chennaiyin FC

Madih Talal has been a man on the move since he set foot in India three seasons ago. After impressing with Punjab FC in its debut ISL season, he journeyed across the Eastern belt, spending a campaign each with East Bengal and Jamshedpur FC.

And now, as the Indian Super League enters a new era, the French attacking midfielder has found a new home in the South of the country with Chennaiyin FC.

“I feel comfortable (in India). You know, in my country sometimes we say the grass is not greener somewhere else. (But) I feel happy, I like the league and the football is good,” Talal told Sportstar during an exclusive chat.

But it has not exactly been smooth sailing for the 29-year-old, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL) while with East Bengal. The blow left him off the pitch for several months, and he was eventually released by the club at the end of the 2024-25 season.

“It was not easy. You feel alone, like the world has stopped because we only play football. So, when you remove football, it’s like nothing is there,” Talal recalled about that period in his life.

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When he recovered and signed for Jamshedpur, the league was in financial crisis that ended up postponing his return to the pitch.

“I came back from injury, and I was ready to play even during the summer. So, after that, it was difficult because we didn’t know if the league would start or not,” he said, adding, “That was not easy not only for me but for everyone. I hope this will never happen again.”

Then another setback followed, with Tata Steel deciding to withdraw Jamshedpur from the league ahead of this season, news that Talal admitted left him “totally shocked.”

But when one door closed, several others opened, and Chennaiyin was the one that Talal eventually decided to walk through.

“I had a great introduction to the club. Owen Coyle (his coach at Jamshedpur and former Chennaiyin head coach) told me a bit about it, and so far it has been good,” he said.

Pulling the strings in attack

His time in the ISL will be especially valuable to the two-time champion, considering it recruited 15 new players over the summer after a poor last season, where it finished 13th out of 14 teams.

Meanwhile, Chennaiyin has had a challenging start to its campaign, drawing 1-1 with FC Goa in the opener before facing defeats against Bengaluru FC (0-2) and Mohun Bagan Super Giant (0-1).

The shortage of goals will be particularly concerning as Chennaiyin was the only side, apart from the relegated Mohammedan SC, to not hit double figures in goals scored last season. And Talal knows that he will have to get his gears running as soon as possible, especially considering the three words he used to describe his playing style were: offensive, creative and technical.

In the last edition, Talal created 39 chances in nine appearances – the third-highest in the league – and led the charts for chances created per 90 with 4.33. His progression across the three games this season, although, has been encouraging.

After coming off the bench against FC Goa, Talal started the next two games, largely running Chennaiyin’s attack, especially against Mohun Bagan. He often linked up with Serbian Nikola Stojanovic to find space in the final third and then release the forward players. A couple of those releases could have resulted in a goal if not for some sloppy finishing and timely saves from Vishal Kaith.

And while Chennaiyin has gathered just one point so far, Talal is cautiously optimistic about what’s coming up.

“Now we have a new team, and we don’t need to compare with last season. The club is building a new project with the young and experienced players. So, it takes time. If you compare the first game and the last game, it’s completely different. We are getting better. I think we just need to continue to work like that and be more clinical in front,” Talal noted.

And while time will tell if Talal can end Chennaiyin’s scoring woes, his understanding of the Indian football landscape has drawn him into other conversations: Would he be interested in following Ryan Williams’ footsteps and hypothetically representing India in the future?

“I think if I’m not wrong, Ryan has maybe someone in his family history who is Indian. So it’s easier for him. But for me, if they want, they can call me and let’s talk,” Talal concluded with a laugh.

Published on Oct 29, 2026

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