INDIAN SUPPER LEAGUE -ISL
The Indian Super League (ISL) is a men's professional football league in India. For sponsorship reasons, the league is officially known as the Hero Indian Super League. One of the top football leagues in the country, it currently shares the top spot in the Indian football league system with the I-League.[1]The league comprises 10 teams and will run for five months from November to March starting with the 2017–18 season.[2]
Founded on 21 October 2013 in partnership with IMG, Reliance Industries, and Star Sports, the Indian Super League was launched with the goal of growing football in India and to increase exposure to the sport in the country.[3] The league's first season took place in 2014 with eight teams. During the first three seasons of the Indian Super League, the league operated without official recognition from the Asian Football Confederation, the governing body for the sport in Asia.[4] The league also operated along the same lines of the Indian Premier League, the country's premier Twenty20 cricket competition, with the league campaign lasting for only two to three months and matches being held every day.[5] However, before the 2017–18 season, the league earned recognition from the AFC, expanded to ten teams, and extended it's schedule to five months, with matches played mainly on weekends.[1][2]
Unlike most football leagues around the world, the Indian Super League does not use promotion and relegation, instead choosing to grow the league through expansion, similar to Major League Soccer in the United States.[5]Since the league's inaugural season, two teams have been crowned champions. ATKwon the title for the second time during the 2016 season. The title meant that they have the most championships in ISL history as they were also crowned champions in 2014. Chennaiyin are the only other club to be crowned champions after they won in 2015.
History
Origins
Football in India has existed in many forms since the game first arrived in the country during the 19th century with the first nationwide club competition, the Durand Cup, being founded in 1888.[6][7] Despite India's early history in the game, the country's first nationwide football league did not begin until the semi-professional National Football League commenced in 1996.[8] Prior to the creation of the National Football League, most clubs played in state leagues or select nationwide tournaments.[8]
Ten years after the formation of the National Football League, the All India Football Federation, the governing body for the sport in India, decided to reformat the league as the I-League in an effort to professionalize the game.[9] However, during the following seasons, the league would suffer from a lack of popularity due to poor marketing and poor quality of football.[10]
In September 2005, the AIFF signed a 10–year television and media contract with Zee Sports. The deal would see Zee broadcast the National Football League and I-League, as well as other tournaments organized by the AIFF and select India international matches.[11] However, in October 2010, the deal between the AIFF and Zee Sports was terminated five years early after differences between both parties related to payment and how to grow the game in India.[12]
A couple months later, on 9 December 2010, it was announced that the AIFF had signed a new 15–year, 700–crore deal with Reliance Industries and the International Management Group.[13] The deal gave IMG–Reliance exclusive commercial rights to sponsorship, advertising, broadcasting, merchandising, video, franchising, and the right to create a new football league.[13]
As commercial partners for the AIFF, IMG–Reliance were responsible for the marketing and organization of the I-League.[13] However, in February 2012, it was revealed that I-League clubs were not happy with the federation's commercial partners and believed IMG–Reliance had done little to try and promote the country's then top domestic football league.[14] However, the AIFF reassured the clubs that the federation, as well as IMG–Reliance, had plans to improve the league prior to the 2012–13 season and maybe even revamp the tournament along the lines of Major League Soccer of the United States.[14]
In June 2013, word had come out that IMG–Reliance were planning to start their own franchise-based tournament for 2013 and also divide the I-League into two conferences. This idea was not well received by I-League clubs who decided to refuse to loan any of their players for the IMG–Reliance proposed tournament or sign any players already contracted to the company.[15] However, by August 2013, it was revealed that IMG–Reliance had signed the required number of players needed to start their own tournament and that the tournament would have the backing of the AIFF.[16]
Foundations
Elano was part of the inaugural class of marquee players in the ISL.
The Indian Super League was officially launched on 21 October 2013 by IMG–Reliance, Star Sports, and the All India Football Federation.[3] The league was announced to take place from January 2014 to March 2014.[17] A few days later however, on 29 October 2013, it was announced that the ISL would be postponed to September 2014.[17]
At first, it was announced that bidding for the eight Indian Super League teams would be complete before the end of 2013 and that there was already high interest from big corporations, Indian Premier League teams, Bollywood stars, and other consortiums.[18]However, due to the rescheduling of the league, the bidding was moved to 3 March 2014.[19] It was also revealed around this time that not only would bidders need to comply with a financial requirement but they would also need to promote grassroots development plans for football within their area.[20] Finally, in early April 2014, the winning bidders were announced.[21] The selected cities/state were Bangalore, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune.[21] Former India cricket player Sachin Tendulkar, along with PVP Ventures, won the bidding for the Kochi franchise. Another former Indian cricket player, Sourav Ganguly, along with a group of Indian businessmen and La Liga side Atlético Madrid, won the bid for the Kolkata franchise.[21] Meanwhile, Bollywood stars John Abraham, Ranbir Kapoor, and Salman Khan won the bid for the Guwahati, Mumbai, and Pune franchises respectively. Bangalore and Delhi were won by companies while Goa was won by a partnership between Videocon, Dattaraj Salgaocar, and I-League side, Dempo.[21]
The first team to be launched officially was the Kolkata franchise as Atlético de Kolkataon 7 May 2014.[22] On 7 July 2014, the team announced the first head coach in league history, Antonio López Habas.[23] The next day, Kolkata also announced the first official marquee signing in the Indian Super League, UEFA Champions League winner Luis García.[24]
Eventually, all eight teams were revealed as Atlético de Kolkata, Bangalore Titans, Delhi Dynamos, Goa, Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City, NorthEast United and Pune City.[25][26]However, on 21 August 2014, it was announced that due to Bangalore's owners dropping out, Chennai would be given a franchise instead.[27] The team was eventually named Chennaiyin FC.[28] At the same time, the original marquee players were Luis García, Elano, Alessandro Del Piero, Robert Pirès, David James, Fredrik Ljungberg, Joan Capdevila, and David Trezeguet.[25]
The inaugural season began on 12 October 2014 at the Salt Lake Stadium when Atlético de Kolkata defeated Mumbai City, 3–0. The first goal was scored by Fikru Teferra.[29] The inaugural final was held on 20 December 2014 with Atlético de Kolkata becoming champions after defeating Kerala Blasters 1–0 at the DY Patil Stadium.[30]
Recognition and expansion
For the first three seasons of the Indian Super League, the league operated without official recognition from the governing body for football in Asia, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and FIFA, the world governing body.[1] In October 2014, then FIFA General Secretary Jérôme Valcke stated that the world governing body only recognized the ISL as a tournament, not a league. The official league for football in India remained the I-League.[31] With no recognition from the AFC, the league also couldn't participate in Asian club competitions, the AFC Champions League or AFC Cup.[31]
During the first three seasons of the Indian Super League, attendances across the league had exceeded expectations of pundits and of the domestic I-League.[32] Television ratings were also strong for the league as well as social media interaction.[32] However, despite the general success off the pitch, the league drew criticism in other areas. Due to the need to accommodate the ISL into the Indian football calendar, the I-League season was shortened and went from having an October to May schedule to January to May schedule.[33] Indian players would play for both an ISL team and an I-League club while the I-League continued to suffer from lack of visibility compared to the ISL.[34] India head coach Stephen Constantine had called for both the ISL and I-League to either run together at the same time or merge.[35]
On 18 May 2016, IMG–Reliance, along with the AIFF and I-League representatives met during a meeting in Mumbai. During the meeting it was proposed that, starting from the 2017–18 season, the Indian Super League become the top tier football league in India while the I-League be reformed as League One and be relegated to the second division. The ISL would also expand by two teams and continue to operate without promotion and relegation but run for 5–7 months instead of 2–3.[36] The idea was not entertained by the I-League representatives.[36]
In June 2017, IMG–Reliance, the AIFF, I-League representatives, and the AFC met in Kuala Lumpur in order to find a new way forward for Indian football.[37] The AFC were against allowing the ISL as the main league in India while I-League clubs East Bengal and Mohun Bagan wanted a complete merger of the ISL and I-League.[37] A couple weeks later, the AIFF proposed that both the Indian Super League and I-League run simultaneously on a short–term basis with the I-League winner qualifying for the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup qualification spot going to the ISL champion.[38] The proposal from the AIFF was officially approved by the AFC on 25 July 2017, with the ISL replacing the domestic cup competition, the Federation Cup.[39] It was also stated that the league would now run for five months starting with the 2017–18 season and the league would expand to 10 teams.[38]
A month before, on 11 May 2017, the ISL organizers started to accept bids for 2–3 new franchises for the 2017–18 season.[40] The bids would be for ten cities, namely Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Cuttack, Durgapur, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Ranchi, Siliguri and Thiruvanathapuram.[40] It was also clarified that if Kolkata were to win at least one bid that the new Kolkata side would have to play away from the city for only two seasons.[40] A month later, on 12 June, it was announced that I-League side, Bengaluru, and Tata Steel (for Jamshedpur) had won the bidding for the new teams.[41]
On 22 September 2017, the league announced officially that it would be expanding its season by two months, thus making the league last for five months instead of three. The league would also go from having matches played daily to being played between Wednesday and Sunday.[42]
Competition format
From the 2017–18 season, the Indian Super League will run from November to March.[2]Unlike previous seasons, matches will only take place between Wednesday and Sunday each week, instead of daily.[42] Despite the increased number of teams, the finals will still run the same way they did previous seasons.[42] Prior to the 2017–18 season, the league ran from October to December. The regular season would begin in October and end by early December while the finals would take place within the next two to three weeks.[43] The regular season would be fourteen matches long, with each team playing each other twice.[44] The top four sides at the end qualify for the finals. The first round of the finals sees the first placed team take on the fourth placed team while the second placed team faces the third.[44]
During the finals, the first round is played in a two-legged format with both teams playing each other at their home venues. At the end of the two matches, the team which leads on aggregate would move on to the final.[44] The final is a single-leg match which takes place in a neutral venue. If scores were tied on aggregate in the first round or in the final, 30 minutes of extra time would be used to determine the winner and finally, if still tied, penalties.[44]
Teams
Locations of the ISL Teams
Currently, the Indian Super League consists of ten teams from nine different states in India.[45] Unlike other football leagues, the ISL does not use promotion and relegation but instead uses expansion like Major League Soccer of the United States. The league features two main derbies which include the Southern derby between Chennaiyin and the Kerala Blasters, and the Maharashtra derby between Mumbai City and Pune City.[46] In 2017, the league added two new clubs for the first time when Bengaluru and Jamshedpurexpanded in.[45]
As of the 2016 season, each team could have a maximum of twenty-five players on their roster and a minimum of twenty-two.[47] A maximum of eleven players could be foreign with a minimum requirement of eight per team.[47] Each team were also made to sign at least one marquee player who must have been league approved. The rest of the players must be domestic Indian players, two of which must be developmental under-23 players.[47]
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