ISL 2016: Teams to train abroad ahead of new season - reports
After two successful seasons, the Hero Indian Super League is set to make its third season more memorable than the earlier ones. Started in 2014, the ISL paved the way for many International stars around the world to showcase their skills on Indian soil. With just over two months left for the third edition mega event to kick-off, the franchises are leaving no stone unturned in the build-up and will be part of training camps in European and other Asian countries.
The trend of travelling abroad for match practice was set by Atletico De Kolkata having taken the flight to Spain ahead of the inaugural Indian Super League. According to reports from Goal.com, this year each of the eight teams has decided to migrate out of India and prepare themselves.
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| TEAM | TRAINING CAMP DESTINATION |
| Atletico De Kolkata | Spain |
| Delhi Dyanamos | Central/Northern Europe |
| Pune City FC | Spain |
| Kerala Blasters | 1st leg - Kerala |
| 2nd leg – Southeast Asia (possible) | |
| FC Goa | Dubai (possible) |
| Chennaiyin FC | Italy |
| Mumbai City FC | 1st leg - Pune |
| 2nd leg - Dubai | |
| North East United FC | South Africa |
International stars grace the ISL
Many big names such as Nicolas Anelka, Alessandro Del Piero, Robert Pires and Roberto Carlos were involved the first two seasons and many more are expected to grace the Asian country. Italian legend Gianluca Zambrotta has been roped in by Delhi Dynamos as the manager for the upcoming season.
Chennaiyin FC along with Atletico De Kolkata are the most successful teams in the competition so far, each winning a title. Fikru and Apoula Edel Bete are the two players to have been part of the title winning squads for the two seasons. Canadian striker Iain Hume has been the most prominent player in the short but eventful history of the Indian Super League.
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In the past 6 months, there have several talks about a possible merger of the ISL with the domestic league competition I-League but a conclusion is yet to be drawn. The ‘I-League’ is the premier AIFF-approved football league competition in the country but in the process to maintain a proper hierarchy and maintain a single-league format at the pinnacle it was proposed that some of the I-League teams would be clubbed with the ISL teams for a combined league.
In the final of the previous season of the I-League, Chennaiyin FC defeated FC Goa in a dramatic match by 3 goals to 2 at the Fatorda stadium in Goa.