3 months ago
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Defending champion Mohun Bagan Super Giant volition footwear disconnected the long-delayed play of the Indian Super League erstwhile it hosts three-time runner-up Kerala Blasters astatine the Salt Lake Stadium connected Saturday.
The caller variation — delayed by astir 4 months — yet gets underway successful a truncated format featuring 14 teams.
With constricted clip remaining successful the shot calendar, the organiser, the All India Football Federation (AIFF), has opted for a azygous round-robin format, scrapping the 2nd limb and the accepted playoff stage. The squad finishing connected apical of the array aft 1 circular of fixtures (over a three-month-long league) volition beryllium crowned champion.
The opening time volition diagnostic a double-header. Newly promoted Inter Kashi FC volition question to Goa to look FC Goa astatine the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium successful Fatorda aboriginal successful the evening.
The season’s motorboat comes arsenic a large alleviation for participating clubs aft months of uncertainty. The league’s aboriginal had been successful jeopardy pursuing the exit of the Reliance-owned FSDL, which had created and managed the ISL since 2014. Its departure came aft the expiry of its Master Rights Agreement with the AIFF, and with nary contiguous successor stepping guardant to instrumentality implicit the agreement, the contention appeared headed towards termination.
The situation was yet resolved aft the Union Sports Ministry stepped successful paving the mode for the country’s premier shot league to statesman a caller section nether a revised structure.
Unsolved issues
However, respective issues stay unresolved. Many sides are inactive successful the process of gathering their squads, with a fewer acceptable to statesman the run without immoderate overseas recruits. There has already been a postponement adjacent earlier the tourney gets underway — the lucifer betwixt Odisha FC and Punjab FC, scheduled for February 16, has been held successful abeyance arsenic the erstwhile is yet to finalise its venue.
Additionally, determination has been nary announcement regarding an authoritative broadcaster, with the opening matches acceptable to beryllium live-streamed connected FanCode.
