The 7th season of the Hero Indian Super League, the ISL, is all set to kick off on Friday, November 20th.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic meant the final of the previous season had to be played behind closed doors in Goa. Once again, Goa was chosen as the host - but this time, for the entire upcoming season, to be played in front of empty stands. Matches will be played at three different venues in the Western Indian state – Margao, Bambolim and Vasco da Gama.
Despite these troubled times, the new season promises plenty of drama and excitement. Here’s a quick guide for you to start exploring the fascinating world of Indian football.
ATK Mohun Bagan
Last season’s position: Champions
Kit colour: Green and Maroon
Head coach: Antonio Lopez Habas (Spain)
Players to watch out for: Roy Krishna (Fiji), David Williams, Brad Inman (Australia), Sandesh Jhingan, Prabir Das (India).
What to expect? ATK and Mohun Bagan will play as a merged entity for the first time this season. ATK finished as champions in the previous season, whereas Mohun Bagan was crowned the winners of the I-League. With two champion sides coming together, they are expected to secure the title yet again.
Bengaluru FC
Last season’s position: Semi-finalists
Kit colour: Blue with a tinge of Red
Head coach: Carles Cuadrat (Spain)
Players to watch out for: Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Udanta Singh (India), Erik Paartalu (Australia), Kristian Opseth (Norway).
What to expect? Boasting some of India’s best home-grown players, Bengaluru FC is expected to be one of the title challengers again. The 2018-19 ISL champions and 2016 AFC Cup runners-up also have some new foreign recruits in their ranks. It will be exciting to see how their season pans out.
Chennaiyin FC
Last season’s position: Runners-up
Kit colour: Blue with a tinge of White
Head coach: Csaba Laszlo (Hungary)
Players to watch out for: Rafael Crivellaro (Brazil), Isma (Guinea-Bissau), Fatkhullo Fatkhuloev (Tajikistan), Anirudh Thapa, Lallianzuala Chhangte (India).
What to expect? With a new head coach in the dugout and an almost complete overhaul of the foreign reinforcements, last season’s runners-up are looking to start afresh this season. The two-time champions are one of the most consistent sides in the league and are capable of producing their best game just when people seem to rule them out.
FC Goa
Last season’s position: Semi-finalists, League stage winners
Kit colour: Orange
Head coach: Juan Ferrando (Spain)
Players to watch out for: Igor Angulo, Alberto Noguera (Spain), James Donachie (Australia), Brandon Fernandes, Redeem Tlang (India).
What to expect? Last season’s league stage winners are all set to become the first Indian club to participate in the AFC Champions League group stage in 2021. Exciting times indeed for FC Goa, but having lost their best players from last season and with a new head coach coming in, it won’t be easy to replicate the heights of the previous season. A lot depends on Igor Angulo who has been given the responsibility to replace fellow Spaniard Ferran Corominas, the highest goal scorer in ISL history.
Hyderabad FC
Last season’s position: 10th
Kit colour: Black and Yellow
Head coach: Manuel Roca (Spain)
Players to watch out for: Aridane Santana, Odei Onaindia (Spain), Joel Chianese (Australia), Adil Khan, Halicharan Narzary (India).
What to expect? Hyderabad FC picked up only two wins in what was their maiden season in 2019/20. Albert Roca was appointed as the head coach before FC Barcelona came calling, and another ‘Roca’ was appointed - Manuel. It is fair to say that the club’s off-season preparations have been serious and the Nizams will try to avoid being the league’s punching bag this season.
Jamshedpur FC
Last season’s position: 8th
Kit colour: Red with a tinge of Blue
Head coach: Owen Coyle (Scotland)
Players to watch out for: Nerijus Valskis (Lithuania), Peter Hartley (England), Narender Gahlot, Aniket Jadhav, Jackichand Singh (India).
What to expect? The Men of Steel possess some of the most exciting Indian youngsters. Along with last season’s Golden Boot winner Nerijus Valskis and former Chennaiyin FC boss Owen Coyle, they make one heck of a formidable unit! The team is expected to improve upon last season’s position and has the potential to finish in the upper echelons of the league table.
Jamshedpur FC’s players are preparing for the ISL opening (Photo via Jamshedpur FC)
Kerala Blasters
Last season’s position: 7th
Kit colour: Yellow and Blue
Head coach: Kibu Vicuna (Spain)
Players to watch out: Gary Hooper (England), Vicente Gomez (Spain), Costa Nhamoinesu (Zimbabwe), Nishu Kumar, Sahal Abdul Samad (India).
What to expect? The Blasters are one of the most passionately supported clubs in the land, but that passion has failed to translate onto the pitch in the last couple of seasons. After some disappointing campaigns, the Blasters have gone big in the transfer market and brought in some eye-catching foreign names this season. Along with an exciting head coach on the sidelines, there’s a new sense of optimism going into the new season.
Mumbai City FC
Last season’s position: 5th
Kit colour: Sky Blue
Head coach: Sergio Lobera (Spain)
Players to watch out: Adam Le Fondre (England), Bartholomew Ogbeche (Nigeria), Mourtada Fall (Senegal), Hugo Boumous, Ahmed Jahouh (Morocco).
What to expect? This will be the team’s first full season since City Football Group (CFG) took over Mumbai City FC. Despite big money associated with the new owners, the Islanders have spent smart this season. It won’t be wrong to say that Mumbai has just gone on to lure the best players and the head coach of top-performing neighbours FC Goa from last season. With a strong all-round squad at their disposal, it might be the time to unleash the Mumbai tide this time around.
NorthEast United FC
Last season’s position: 9th
Kit colour: Maroon
Head coach: Gerard Nus (Spain)
Players to watch out for: Federico Gallego (Uruguay), Idrissa Sylla (Guinea), Luis Machado (Portugal), Ninthoinganba Meetei, Ashutosh Mehta (India).
What to expect? The Highlanders have made it to the top four only once thus far. It could be another very tough season ahead for the league’s underdogs, but if their foreign recruits stay fit, the team could manage to punch above their weight and earn some significant points.
Odisha FC
Last season’s position: 6th
Kit colour: Black and Purple
Head coach: Stuart Baxter (Scotland)
Players to watch out for: Steven Taylor (England), Marcelinho (Brazil), Manuel Onwu (Spain), Vinit Rai, Shubham Sarangi (India).
What to expect? After a decent first season, the Juggernauts will be hoping to push on from where they left off. With experienced foreign recruits and a group of exciting youth, the team will be targeting a top-four finish and might be the surprise package this season.
SC East Bengal
Last season’s position: Didn’t participate
Kit colour: Red and Yellow
Head coach: Robbie Fowler (England)
Players to watch out for: Anthony Pilkington (Ireland), Jacques Maghoma (DR Congo), Danny Fox (Scotland), Matti Steinmann (Germany), Jeje Lalpekhlua (India).
What to expect? This will be the club’s first season in the ISL, joining the league as an expansion team. Expectations are always high for this century-old club, but this season it might take some time until the fresh squad finds the chemistry that would make them a functioning unit. With a Liverpool legend in the dugout, this could be the start of a building block as the club gears up for the start of an exciting era.
Above all, this season will see one of the best matches on the globe:
With the joining of East Bengal and the merger of ATK and Mohun Bagan - the ISL will resurrect the biggest and best event Indian football has to offer: the Boro Khela - the famous derby of Kolkata. Stay tuned.
Robbie Fowler smiling at East Bengal’s preparations. Can the Merseyside legend kick one of India’s biggest clubs to glory on its debut ISL season? (Photo: SC East Bengal)
Thumbnail photo via ISL official website.
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