ISL 2021-22 Season Preview: Bring it on!

Similar
to
previous
season,
three
venues
in
the
land
of
beaches
–
Fatorda
Stadium
(Pandit
Jawaharlal
Nehru
Stadium)
in
Margao,
Tilak
Maidan
in
Vasco
da
Gama
and
GMC
Athletic
Stadium
in
Bambolin
–
will
host
the
first
phase
of
the
ISL
which
runs
till
January
9.

Ever
since
the
outbreak
of
the
COVID-19
pandemic
in
March
2020,
the
dynamics
of
football
have
changed
drastically,
globally
and
in
India.

The
ISL
organisers
were
lucky
enough
to
complete
the
2019-20
season,
though
the
final
was
played
without
fans.

With
empty
stadiums
becoming
the
new
normal,
it
was
decided
to
host
the
2020-21
ISL
season
at
a
single
venue.
Gone
was
the
home-and-away
advantage,
such
an
important
factor
in
league
football.

The
2020-21
season,
held
amidst
raging
COVID-19
pandemic
in
Goa,
was
completed
without
any
incidents
with
Mumbai
City
FC
winning
their
maiden
title.

As
Mumbai
City
FC
and
rest
of
the
eleven
teams
–
ATK
Mohun
Bagan,
FC
Goa,
Chennaiyin
FC,
Bengaluru
FC,
Kerala
Blasters,
Northeast
United
FC,
Odisha
FC,
Hyderabad
FC,
Jamshedpur
FC
and
SC
East
Bengal
return
to
Goa,
there
is
a
sense
pf
eerie
calm
and
optimism
around.

EARLY
WARNING

FC
Goa
sounded
an
early
warning
to
their
rivals
by
clinching
the
season-opening
Durand
Cup,
where
they
beat
Kolkata
giants
Mohammedan
Sporting
in
the
final.

The
Gaurs,
who
won
the
inaugural
Super
Cup
and
now
the
130th
edition
of
the
oldest
football
tournament
in
Asia,
have
been
ticking
every
box
and
an
ISL
crown
is
the
only
pending
silverware.

However,
their
job
is
easier
said
than
done
in
a
league
where
the
competition
level
is
increasing
every
season.

ATK
Mohun
Bagan
have
been
a
formidable
force
(in
both
avatars)
ever
since
the
inception
of
the
league.

The
champions
of
the
inaugural
edition
of
the
ISL
in
2013-14
have
become
much
stronger
following
the
merger
with
fellow
Kolkata
giants
Mohun
Bagan
as
they
went
on
to
win
the
league
in
the
first
season
and
finished
runners-up
to
Mumbai
City
FC
the
next
season.

No
ISL
club
has
defended
the
title
and
Mumbai
City
FC
will
be
hoping
to
break
this
jinx
this
season
and
they
made
their
intentions
clear
in
the
pre-season
transfer
window
with
some
good
signings.

The
star-studded
Bengaluru
FC
led
by
the
mercurial
Sunil
Chhetri,
who
fell
from
pedestal
last
season
following
a
string
of
inconsistent
performances,
will
be
hoping
to
bounce
back
this
season
under
new
coach
Marco
Pezzaiuoli.

Bengaluru’s
southern
rivals
Chennaiyin
FC
are
the
team
who
were
most
busy
in
the
transfer
market.

The
two-time
ISL
champions
roped
in
well-travelled
Montenegrin
coach
Bozidar
Bandovic
and
their
new
six
overseas
signings
includes
the
likes
of
Hungarian
Vladimir
Koman.

SENTIMENTAL
FAVOURITES

When
it
comes
to
ISL
and
Indian
football,
Kerala
Blasters
have
always
been
the
sentimental
favourites.
The
Blasters,
who
inarguably
boast
of
the
best
fan
base
among
ISL
clubs
have
reached
the
finals
twice,
including
in
the
inaugural
edition,
only
to
falter.
Hiring
and
firing
coaches
have
become
a
norm
with
Blasters
with
Serbian
Ivan
Vukomanovic
being
the
latest
to
occupy
the
hot
seat.

While
Hyderabad,
Jamshedpur,
Odisha
and
Northeast
have
all
made
reinforcements
to
their
squad,
SC
East
Bengal,
the
marquee
club
from
Kolkata,
will
he
hoping
to
find
their
feet
in
ISL
after
an
indifferent
debut
campaign
last
season.

NEW
RULES

Since
the
inception
of
the
ISL
in
2013-14,
there
has
been
a
constant
effort
to
innovate
and
focus
more
on
Indian
football.

With
this
in
mind,
the
number
of
foreign
players
has
been
limited
to
4
in
the
starting
11
from
this
season
in
strict
compliance
with
the
AFC’s
club
competition
regulations.

Till
last
season
the
number
of
Indian
players
was
stipulated
to
six
and
the
new
rule
will
see
one
extra
Indian
player
on
the
field
and
a
spot
less
for
the
foreign
players.

While
the
weekday
7.30
pm
kick
off
remains
intact,
there
is
an
additional
9.30
pm
kick
off
for
double
headers
on
Saturday.
There
has
also
been
an
increase
in
prize
money
which
is
indeed
a
bonanza,
considering
an
economy
ravaged
by
the
pandemic.

THE
MISSING
FANS

Despite
all
this,
one
thing
the
fans
and
aficionados
of
this
beautiful
game
would
miss
is
the
presence
of
spectators
from
the
stadiums.

Though
the
COVID-19
pandemic
has
scaled
down,
the
organisers
are
yet
to
take
a
call
whether
to
allow
the
fans
inside
the
stadiums.

The
130th
edition
of
the
Durand
Cup
started
without
fans
initially
before
a
limited
number
were
allowed
for
the
second
semifinal
and
final.

The
triumph
of
FC
Goa
in
front
of
some
24,000
fans
showed
that
football
is
alive
and
kicking
in
India.

It
remains
to
be
seen
if
the
ISL
organisers
follow
the
path.

“Of
course,
without
fans,
it’s
really
sad.
Fans
are
the
ones
who
bring
all
the
energy
into
the
stadiums.
If
you
see
the
situation
in
Europe
and
other
countries
fans
have
slowly
started
coming
back
to
the
stadiums.
I’m
waiting
for
that
day
to
come
here,”
Chennaiyin
FC’s
new
signing
Koman
told
this
writer
recently.

Koman
or
Marina
Machans
will
not
be
only
ones
longing
for
that,
the
entire
Indian
football
spectrum
is
waiting
with
bated
breath
for
that
to
happen!

Bring
it
on!