Hyderabad: The seventh season of Indian Super League (ISL), the premier division football of India, is set to kick off on Friday, November 20, in Goa. With the entrant of East Bengal, 2020-2021 season will be an 11 team affair. Another Kolkata giant Mohun Bagan, 2019-2020 I-League champions, merged with ATK, the current champions of ISL, will be the team to watch out for.
So, as East Bengal (SC East Bengal) and Mohun Bagan (ATK Mohun Bagan) ended their long wait and joined ISL, this season is going to be a lot different. At least, there will be more fan following than previous years. All the matches of Rs 4.59 billion worth ISL will be played in Goa behind closed doors due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The season will start with a clash between Kerala Blasters and ATK Mohun Bagan at GMC Stadium at Bambolim on Friday. It is a home game for Kerala Blasters. With seven of eleven teams have Spanish coaches at the helm, one can expect to see demonstrations of 'Tiki-Taka' football, a combination of short passing, patience, and high importance on possession.
Ahead of the season opener, let's take a look at all you need to know about this season of the ISL.
TEAMS
ATK Mohun Bagan
- Head coach: Antonio Lopez Habas (Spain)
- Players to watch out for: Roy Krishna, Tiri, Prabir Das, Sandesh Jhingan, David WilliamsATK Mohun Bagan
With ISL's most successful coach Antonio Lopez Habas at the helm and the club didn't break ATK FC's title-winning combination from last season, the newly formed ATK Mohun Bagan will be up to prove their readiness from the first day of the season.
Bengaluru FC
- Head coach: Carles Cuadrat (Spain)
- Players to watch out for: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Udanta Singh Cleiton Silva, Deshorn Brown, Kristian Opseth, Sunil ChhetriBengaluru FC
Two-time I-League champions Bengaluru FC joined ISL in 2017-18. They topped the league table in their first appearance only to suffer defeat to Chennaiyin FC in the final. A year later, however, they made amends by beating FC Goa in the showpiece event to be crowned ISL champions.
Chennaiyin FC
- Head coach: Csaba Laszlo (Romania)
- Players to watch out for: Jerry Lalrinzuala, Anirudh Thapa, Fatkhullo Fatkhuloev, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Rafael Crivellaro Jakub SylvestrChennaiyin FC
One of the most consistent sides in the ISL's six-year history, Chennaiyin FC have had the record of making it to the top-four four times. They are two-time ISL champions. In 2015, they defeated Goa FC and Bengaluru FC in 2017.
FC Goa
- Head coach: Juan Ferrando (Spain)
- Players to watch out for: James Donachie, Seriton Fernandes, Brandon Fernandes, Edu Bedia, Princeton Rebello, Igor AnguloFC Goa
Having finished on top of the table last season and made history as the first Indian side to qualify for the AFC Champions League group stage, FC Goa will be hoping for another successful season. However, as they have undergone massive changes after a successful season under Sergio Lobera, new coach Juan Ferrando has an uphill task in hand to reach the level set by the former coach. As Lobera joined Mumbai City FC, Goa's top players have also left with him for the Mumbai franchise.
Hyderabad FC
- Head coach: Manuel Marquez Roca (Spain)
- Players to watch out for: Odei Onaindia, Joao Victor, Lluis Sastre, Aridane Santana, Fran Sandaza, Rohit DanuHyderabad FC
Last season Hyderabad FC had endured a disappointing maiden campaign where they finished at the bottom of the 2019-2020 standings. Now, in their second season, the team from Hyderabad will look to make amends to their last season's campaign in the Indian Super League.
Jamshedpur FC
- Head coach: Owen Coyle (United Kingdom)
- Players to watch out for: Stephen Eze, Peter Hartley, Amarjit Singh, Jackichand Singh, Nerijus ValskisJamshedpur FC
Ahead of ISL 2020-2021, Jamshedpur FC have made a few crucial changes to their squad following the dismal eighth-place finish last season. They have signed coach Owen Coyle and 2019-2020 season's top scorer Nerijus Valskis from Chennaiyin FC.
Kerala Blasters FC
- Head coach: Kibu Vicuna (Spain)
- Players to watch out for: Bakary Kone, Costa Nhamoinesu, Jessel Carneiro, Sahal Abdul Samad, Sergio Cidoncha, Gary HooperKerala Blasters
Kerala Blasters came close to winning ISL twice, once in the inaugural season in 2014 and 2016. On both occasions, they lost to now-defunct ATK in the injury-time in the summit clash.
Their coach Kibu Vicuna has guided Mohun Bagan to their 2019-2020 I-League title. So, as he has already proved his calibre as a coach in India, it will be amazing to see how he manages Kerala Blasters, who are yet to taste success in ISL.
Mumbai City FC
- Head coach: Sergio Lobera (Spain)
- Players to watch out for: Amrinder Singh, Mourtada Fall, Ahmed Jahouh, Hernan Santana, Hugo Boumous, Bartholomew Ogbeche, Adam Le FondreMumbai City FC
Mumbai City FC made the most of the busy transfer window for all 11 Indian Super League teams. They have taken a serious initiative to upgrade their squad ahead of the seventh season. Mumbai City FC first signed in coach Sergio Lobera from Goa. The move helped them signing in a few key players from the franchise. Mumbai now have an enviable forward line that is capable of giving nightmare to opponents.
Odisha FC
- Head coach: Stuart Baxter (England)
- Players to watch out for: Shubham Sarangi, Steven Taylor, Jerry Mawihmingthanga, Manuel Onwu, MarcelinhoOdisha FC
With a mid-table finish in the 2019-2020 season, Odisha FC began their journey in the ISL. Odisha FC came into existence after the Delhi Dynamos relocated to Bhubaneswar. With a season under their belts and additions to the squad, they will begin the upcoming campaign full of optimism.
NorthEast United FC
- Head coach: Gerard Nus (Spain)
- Players to watch out for: Subhasish Roy, Idrissa Sylla, Ninthoinganba Meetei, Kwesi Appiah, Luis MachadoNorthEast United
Based in India's one of the most popular breeding ground of talented players North East, this ISL club was formed in 2014. Though they finished at the bottom of the table Guwahati-based NorthEast United FC boasted the third-highest average attendance in the inaugural season. Their best season came in 2018-19 when a top-four finish saw them reach the playoffs before exiting losing to eventual winners Bengaluru.
SC East Bengal
- Head coach: Robbie Fowler (England)
- Players to watch out for: Debjit Majumder, Anthony Pilkington, Danny Fox, Jacques Maghoma, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Jeje LalpekhluaSC East Bengal
One of the most passionately followed Indian clubs East Bengal joined ISL with a tweaked name Sporting Club East Bengal at a time when the club is celebrating its centenary. With their archrivals Mohun Bagan merged with ATK in a bid to join ISL, all the eyes will be on November 27 fixture when ATK Mohun Bagan will take on SC East Bengal at Tilak Maidan. In the club football history of India, century-old Kolkata giants East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are known as two fiercest rivals of each other.
With Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler at the helm, SC East Bengal have the enormous capability of taking ISL by storm.
VENUES
All the matches will be played behind closed doors at three venues in Goa.
- Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda
- GMC Athletic Stadium, Bambolim
- Tilak Maidan Stadium, Vasco
FORMAT
- There will be a total of 115 matches, 20 more than last season. All teams will play each other in a 'home' and 'away' round-robin format and the top four sides will qualify for the play-offs. The league stage winner will qualify for next year's AFC Champions League.
How many changes a team can make?
Each team can make five substitutions instead of three. But these have to be done in at the most three intervals, and it does not include the changes at the half-time break.
Franchises had the option to sign a minimum of five and a maximum of seven foreign players, with at least one Asian overseas player affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation.
MONEY MATTERS
- Champions - $1.01 million (Approximately Rs. 8 crores)
- Runners-ups - $540,650 (Approximately Rs. 4 crores)
- Semi-Finalists - $202,500 (Approximately Rs. 1.5 crores)
- Most goals - Golden Boot and $4,500 (Approximately ₹3 lakhs)
- Best goalkeeper- Golden Glove and $4,500 (Approximately ₹3 lakhs)
- Emerging Player of the League - $3,400 (Approximately ₹2.5 lakhs)
- Best player - $6,800 (Approximately ₹5 lakhs)
