December 8 – The I-League has released its match calendar for the regular 2020-21 season with debutants Sudeva Delhi FC and Mohammedan SC contesting the campaign’s curtain raiser.
The second-tier league of Indian football will kick off on January 9 with the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Stadium, one of the main venues during the 2017 U-17 World Cup in India, hosting the season’s first match with the debutants from the capital taking on Mohammedan SC.
The I-League chose Kolkata as a hub for its season in a bid to provide teams, staff and other personnel with a bio-secure environment. The Indian Super League (ISL), which got underway in November, is staging its matches in Goa. In the Bengal city, the Kalyani Municipal Stadium and the Kishore Bharati Krirangan will serve as venues as well.
“We are about to experience a new version of the I-League this time as all the teams will be operating from within the bubble,” said AIFF Leagues CEO Sunando Dhar. “It will indeed be a unique experience for all the players, coaches and officials involved.
“Of course, we would have loved to have had fans in the stands, but due to the current circumstances, that would not be possible. I just want to convey to all the fans that we will all be there for each other in spirit. I wish all the teams the best ahead of the tournament.”
The league’s format was shortened because of the coronavirus pandemic. All the clubs will play each other just once in the regular season with the top six progressing to the play-offs. It is the first time that the two major Kolkata clubs will not participate in the league. They moved to the ISL, which operates on a franchise-based model.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1727624252labto1727624252ofdlr1727624252owedi1727624252sni@o1727624252fni1727624252
