ISL 2018: Indian Super League likely to get underway on last week of September
What's the story?
The fifth edition of ISL is likely to start in the last week of September, according to reports, while the I-league is scheduled to start around 15th October, later this year. Chennaiyin FC are the defending champions, who won their second ISL title by defeating Bengaluru FC 3-2 in the final.
In case you didn't know...
The last edition of the league was postponed to late-November due to India hosting the FIFA U-17 World Cup but this season the likely start date will be 29th September, which is a Saturday. The season is just a few days away and all the ten clubs are busy with their pre-season preparations.
The heart of the matter
The fifth edition of the league will most likely have three breaks as India are slated to play China in a friendly match in October while they have their calendar booked for another match in November.
There will be a month-long break from mid-December to February first week as India will be participating in the AFC Asian Cup in UAE. They will have their three group matches scheduled for January 6, 10 and 14. Discussions are still going on regarding the dates of the National camp ahead of the Asian Cup but there is a high probability of it being started on December 14.
Regarding the Super Cup, which pits the I-League teams against ISL sides, there is a desire to continue the tournament from the AIFF top brass but the initial discussions with clubs have not yet begun regarding this matter. The Super Cup is likely to commence two weeks after the ISL.
What's next?
Barely two months are left for the fifth season of ISL to begin and clubs have already kick-started their preseason matches. Bengaluru FC are in Spain while Kerela Blasters took part in the La Liga World tournament against Melbourne City and Girona FC in the last week of July. There were some reports regarding the entry of new teams like Quess East Bengal but there have been no positive developments with respect to that.