Kochi: After playing host to the FIFA U-17 World Cup, where world football's best young talents put in memorable performances, the country is now all set to usher in the Indian Super League (ISL) frenzy.
With the glitzy, glamorous league getting a massive facelift ahead of the fourth season, scheduled to be kicked off at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi on November 17, it is definitely going to be a feast for the country's soccer fans.
Indian ‘Superior’ League
The ISL, in its fourth edition, will witness an expanded five-month module with the number of participating teams increasing from eight to 10.
Bengaluru FC, who have made a mark in the Asian circuit, and the Tata Steel-owned Jamshedpur FC, coached by former Kerala Blasters gaffer Steve Coppell, are the new entrants in the upcoming edition of the ISL. With the addition of two teams, the league is expected to undergo a slew of changes and provide soccer aficionados with plenty of mouth-watering action.
As the 10 teams will play home and away, there will be as many as 90 matches in the preliminary stage of the tournament. The two-legged semifinals and final will take the total number of encounters to 95.
A fair schedule
Modeled on the popular English Premier League, the fourth edition of the ISL will be staged for a period of five months, going away from its earlier two-and-a-half-month model.
There will be no daily matches as all the league encounters will be played from Wednesday to Saturday, kicking off at 8 pm, with Sundays and other public holidays featuring double headers.
During previous seasons, players and coaches have regularly complained about exhaustive schedules and constant travel between venues, but the retooled edition will put an end to such grievances and help them perform better.
Local flavor
Another novelty in the 2017–18 season of the ISL is the change in the ratio of Indian and foreign players to give more exposure to the local talents. A minimum of six Indian players should be present on the field which is an increase from the five required till the last season.
As a result, the maximum number of foreigners allowed on the pitch will be reduced to five from six.
Also, the upcoming season will see the maximum number of foreign players per team reduced to eight from eleven, while the number of home-grown players will be increased from fourteen to seventeen.
More importantly, the league has recently been granted official recognition by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which means the next ISL champion will be eligible for an AFC Cup qualifying slot. This enticing prospect of honor will certainly fire up the teams to give the competition their best shot.
Players to watch
Regular viewers of European soccer leagues need no an introduction to Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov. Former Ireland and Tottenham Hotspur striker Keane, signed by Atletico de Kolkata, and Berbatov, one of the best Bulgarian footballers of all time who will play for Kerala Blasters, are the two most popular players to watch in the new ISL season.
Berbatov, the top-scorer in the 2010-11 EPL season, is expected to do for Blasters what he has has done all his career - score goals. The Kochi-based side would be having a distinct ‘Manchester United flavor’ to their side this season as they have also signed defender Wes Brown and goalkeeper Paul Rachubka.
Keane, Ireland’s most capped player, has played for several top-flight clubs in Europe, including Liverpool, Inter Milan and Tottenham. The two-time champions will be pinning their hopes on the thirty-three-year-old prolific striker to steer their title aspirations.
No marquee players
Diego Forlan, Alessandro Del Piero, and Nicolas Anelka were some of the big names in the world football who took ISL by storm in its previous editions. However, the fourth edition will do away with the idea of ‘marquee player’.
The organizers have sent a clear message to the franchises that emphasis be laid on performance rather than name, fame and the built-up hype. All the 10 teams would be featuring some relatively unknown foreign players, unlike the past editions that saw superstars past their prime in their starting line-up.
Star-studded line-up of coaches
The new head coach of Kerala Blasters Rene Meulensteen, who has worked alongside the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson as the ‘skill development’ coach of Manchester United’s senior team, boasts a wealth of experience in coaching young talents.
Jamshedpur FC coach Coppell has over 30 years of coaching experience under his belt. He was a prolific winger in his heyday as a player for both English national side and Manchester United.
Former England and Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham is the coach of Atletico de Kolkata. He was part of the United squad when they won the EPL title thrice.
Bengaluru FC’s head coach Albert Roca was part of the coaching staff during legendary Frank Rijkaard's time at FC Barcelona, while FC Goa gaffer Sergio Lobera has worked under former Barcelona manager the late Tito Vilanova.
FC Mumbai are coached by Alexandre Guimaraes, who guided Costa Rica to the World Cup twice, while Delhi Dynamos have roped in ex-Real Madrid midfielder Miguel Angel Portugal.
Chennaiyin FC, champions of the 2015 edition, will be looking to regain the title under the tutelage of former England international John Gregory.
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