2020–21 I-League
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
← 2019–20 2021–22 →
All statistics correct as of 18 April 2020. | |
The 2020–21 I-League is the 14th season of the I-League, one of the top Indian professional football leagues, since its establishment in 2007. (Officially known as Hero I-League, due to sponsorship reasons).
Mohun Bagan were declared the champions of the 2019–20 season after the cancellation of matches, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, since the second placed team could not catch up even if all 20 games were completed.[1] However, ATK, a club which plays in the Indian Super League (ISL), merged with Mohun Bagan and as a result they will be playing in the 2020–21 ISL season.[2] Hence, for 2020–21 I-League season there is no defending champion.
Changes from last season
Changes in rules and regulations
- Each club will have the option of signing a minimum of three and a maximum of four foreign players, but unlike the previous season, there should be at least one overseas player who hails from an AFC—affiliated country.[3]
Number of clubs
All India Football Federation (AIFF) issued an invitation to accept bids for new clubs form non I-League cities, like Delhi, Ranchi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bhopal, Lucknow, Ahmedabad among many others, to join the League from 2020 onwards. The invitation mentioned that, the entity that will win the bid will be granted the right to own and operate a new football club.[4]
Promoted clubs
Promoted from the 2019–20 2nd Division League
Relegated clubs
Relegated from the 2019–20 I-League
- None[1]
Teams
Stadiums and locations
| Team | City/State | Stadium[5] | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aizawl | Aizawl, Mizoram | Rajiv Gandhi Stadium | 20,000 |
| Chennai City | Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | 30,000 |
| Churchill Brothers | Margao, Goa | Fatorda Stadium | 20,000 |
| Gokulam Kerala | Calicut, Kerala | Kozhikode EMS Stadium | 50,000 |
| Indian Arrows | Vasco da Gama, Goa | Tilak Maidan Stadium | 5,000 |
| Mumbai, Maharashtra | Cooperage Ground | 5,000 | |
| NEROCA | Imphal, Manipur | Khuman Lampak Main Stadium | 35,000 |
| Real Kashmir | Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir | TRC Turf Ground | 15,000 |
| TRAU | Imphal, Manipur | Khuman Lampak Main Stadium | 35,000 |
Personnel and sponsorship
| Team | Head coach | Captain | Kit Manufacturer | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aizawl |  Stanley Rozario
|
Vamos | NECS Limited | |
| Chennai City |  Akbar Nawas
|
Uhlsport[6] | ||
| Churchill Brothers | Nivia | |||
| Gokulam Kerala | Kaizen | Sree Gokulam Group | ||
| Indian Arrows | Six5Six | Hero MotoCorp | ||
| NEROCA | Gift Raikhan
|
Vicky Transform | Living 3D | |
| Punjab | Khalid jamil
|
Spartan [7] | Apollo Tyres | |
| Real Kashmir |  David Robertson
|
Adidas | J&K Bank | |
| TRAU | Nivia |
Transfers
Foreign players
Minimum of three and maximum of four foreign players including one player from AFC—affiliated country per team.[8] Indian Arrows cannot sign any foreign players as they are the AIFF developmental team.
| Team | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | AFC Player |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aizawl | ||||
| Chennai City | ||||
| Churchill Brothers | ||||
| Gokulam Kerala | ||||
| NEROCA | ||||
| Punjab | ||||
| Real Kashmir | ||||
| TRAU |
In bold: Players who are capped for there National Teams.
References
- ^ a b "League Committee sends its recommendations to the AIFF Executive Committee | Hero I-League". Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- ^ "Bengaluru FC to play in AFC Cup playoffs as AIFF confirms all three continental spots for ISL teams". Scroll.in. 4 June 2020.
- ^ Banerjee, Debkalpa (8 May 2020). "ISL, I-League brace for upheaval as AIFF considers altering foreign player rules". The Indian Express. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
- ^ "AIFF invites bids for new clubs to join Hero I-League 2020 onwards". AIFF. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
- ^ "2019-20 Hero I League Fixtures (Stadiums)". Hero I League. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
- ^ "Chennai City announce strategic partnership with Uhlsports". AIFF. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
- ^ "Spartan sports will be the official kit sponsor of Minerva Punjab FC for the upcoming season". Minerva Punjab FC. Twitter. 10 August 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
- ^ "AIFF Implements '3+1' rule for I-League 2020-21". Indo-Asian News Service. Times Now. Retrieved 14 May 2020.