The 2020-21 edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) is expected to be a season like no other in the history of the football in the country.
In fact, the 2020-21 ISL campaign will mark the return of the first major live sporting evet in India after the Covid-19.
The unique season will present plenty of challenges for the players, management and organizers, as all matches of the seventh season of the ISL will take place in Goa as the organisers have create a bio-bubble considering the coronavirus pandemic.
As the Indian Super League 2020-21 is just around the corner, news18.com looks lists out everything you need to know:
ISL Start Date
Indian Super League 2020-21 will be kicking off from November 20, with defending champions ATK Mohun Bagan taking on Kerala Blasters FC at the GMC Stadium, Bambolim.
ISL Venues
ISL 2020-21 will be staged entirely in Goa will all games being played behind closed doors across three stadiums - The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, the Tilak Nagar Stadium in Vasco and the GMC Stadium in Bambolim.
ISL Teams Participating
There are 11 teams participating in ISL 20202-21. They are ATK Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa, Hyderabad FC, Jamshedpur FC, Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City FC, NorthEast United FC, Odisha FC, SC East Bengal.
New Teams in ISL
The upcoming ISL campaign have two new teams with the entry of SC East Bengal and ATK Mohun Bagan.
ISL Format
ISL 2020-21 will have an unprecedented 115 games, up from 95 last season. All clubs will play each other in a double round-robin format with the top four clubs in the standings at the end of the regular season qualifying for the playoffs.
ISL Rules
Teams in 2020-21 ISL can have a maximum of five substitutes, which has been increased from three keeping in mind the welfare of players amid the ongoing pandemic. Teams can use their five substitutes over a maximum of three intervals, and it doesn’t include the changes at the half-time break.
All clubs must have a minimum of five and a maximum of seven foreign players in their squad. Among the foreign players in the squad, at least one of them must be Asian Football Confederation (AFC) affiliated. A maximum of five of these foreign players can be on the field at any point of a game along with a minimum of six Indians. Furthermore, all clubs are required to have a minimum of two 'Developmental Players' – players who were born on or after January 1, 2000 – in their matchday teams.
ISL Full Schedule
The schedule for first 11 rounds of matches has been released already and features six double-headers – all of which will be played on Sundays.
The schedule for the remaining 55 league matches will be published in December post clarity on calendar dates of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competitions matches.
| DATE & DAY | MATCH | TIME (IST) | VENUE |
| 20 November, Friday | Kerala Blasters vs ATK-Mohun Bagan | 7:30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 21 November, Saturday | NorthEast United FC vs Mumbai City FC | 7:30 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 22 November, Sunday | FC Goa vs Bengaluru FC | 7:30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 23 November, Monday | Odisha FC vs Hyderabad FC | 7:30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 24 November, Tuesday | Jamshedpur FC vs Chennaiyin FC | 7:30 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 25 November, Wednesday | FC Goa vs Mumbai City FC | 7:30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 26 November, Thursday | Kerala Blasters vs NorthEast United FC | 7:30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 27 November, Friday | SC East Bengal vs ATK-Mohun Bagan | 7:30 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 28 November, Saturday | Bengaluru FC vs Hyderabad FC | 7:30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 29 November, Sunday | Jamshedpur FC vs Odisha FC | 5:00 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 29 November, Sunday | Chennaiyin FC vs Kerala Blasters FC | 7:30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 30 November, Monday | FC Goa vs NorthEast United FC | 7:30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 1 December, Tuesday | Mumbai City FC vs SC East Bengal | 7:30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 2 December, Wednesday | Hyderabad FC vs Jamshedpur FC | 7:30 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 3 December, Thursday | ATK-Mohun Bagan vs Jamshedpur FC | 7:30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 4 December, Friday | Chennaiyin FC vs Bengaluru FC | 7:30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 5 December, Saturday | NorthEast United FC vs SC East Bengal | 7:30 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 6 December, Sunday | Mumbai City FC vs Odisha FC | 5:00 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 6 December, Sunday | FC Goa vs Kerala Blasters | 7:30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 7 December, Monday | Jamshedpur FC vs ATK-Mohun Bagan | 7:30 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 8 December, Tuesday | Bengaluru FC vs NorthEast United FC | 7:30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 9 December, Wednesday | Mumbai City FC vs Chennaiyin FC | 7:30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 10 December, Thursday | SC East Bengal vs Jamshedpur FC | 7:30 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 11 December, Friday | ATK-Mohun Bagan vs Hyderabad FC | 7:30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 12 December, Saturday | Odisha FC vs FC Goa | 7:30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 13 December, Sunday | NorthEast United FC vs Chennaiyin FC | 5:00 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 13 December, Sunday | Bengaluru FC vs Kerala Blasters FC | 7:30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 14 December, Monday | Mumbai City FC vs Jamshedpur FC | 7:30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 15 December, Tuesday | Hyderabad FC vs SC East Bengal | 7:30 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 16 December, Wednesday | ATK-Mohun Bagan vs FC Goa | 7:30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 17 December, Thursday | Odisha FC vs Bengaluru FC | 7:30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 18 December, Friday | NorthEast United FC vs Jamshedpur FC | 7:30 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 19 December, Saturday | FC Goa vs Chennaiyin FC | 7:30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 20 December, Sunday | Hyderabad FC vs Mumbai City FC | 5:00 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 20 December, Sunday | Kerala Blasters vs SC East Bengal | 7.30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 21 December, Monday | ATK Mohun Bagan vs Bengaluru FC | 7.30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 22 December, Tuesday | Odisha FC vs NorthEast United FC | 7.30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 23 December, Wednesday | Jamshedpur FC vs FC Goa | 7.30 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 26 December, Saturday | SC East Bengal vs Chennaiyin FC | 7.30 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 27 December, Sunday | Kerala Blasters vs Hyderabad FC | 7.30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 28 December, Monday | Bengaluru FC vs Jamshedpur FC | 7.30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 29 December, Tuesday | Chennaiyin FC vs ATK Mohun Bagan | 7,30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 30 December, Wednesday | Hyderabad FC vs FC Goa | 7.30 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 2 January, Saturday | Mumbai City FC vs Kerala Blasters FC | 7.30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 3 January, Sunday | SC East Bengal vs Odisha FC | 5.00 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 3 January, Sunday | ATK Mohun Bagan vs Northeast United FC | 7.30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 4 January, Monday | Chennaiyin FC vs Hyderabad FC | 7.30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 5 January, Tuesday | Bengaluru FC vs Mumbai City FC | 7.30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 6 January, Wednesday | SC East Bengal vs FC Goa | Tilak Maidan | |
| 7 January, Thursday | Kerala Blasters FC vs Odisha FC | 7.30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 8 January, Friday | Northeast United FC vs Hyderabad FC | 7.30 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 9 January, Saturday | Bengaluru FC vs SC East Bengal | 7.30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
| 10 January, Sunday | Chennaiyin FC vs Odisha FC | 7.30 PM | GMC Stadium Bambolim |
| 10 January, Sunday | Jamshedpur FC vs Kerala Blasters FC | 5.00 PM | Tilak Maidan |
| 11 January, Monday | ATK Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City FC | 7.30 PM | Fatorda Stadium |
When is 1st Kolkata Derby in ISL?
The first Kolkata derby between new entrants SC East Bengal and ATK Mohun Bagan willbe played on November 27 at the Tilak Maidan Stadium.
ISL Full Squads
Head coach: Antonio Lopez Habas
Goalkeepers: Arindram Bhattacharja, Arsh Shaikh, Aryan Niraj Lamba, Avilash Paul, Dheeraj Singh
Defenders: Tiri, Prabir Das, Pritam Kotal, Sandesh Jhingan, Subhasish Bose, Sumit Rathi
Midfielders: Boris Singh, Bradden Inman, Cark McHugh, Edu Garcia, Javier Hernandez, Glan Martins, Jayesh Rane, Michael Soosairaj, N Engson Singh, Pronoy Halder, Regin Michael, Sahil Sheikh.
Forwards: David Williams, Manvir Singh, Md Fardin Ali Molla, Roy Krishna.
Head coach: Carles Cuadrat
Goalkeepers: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Lalthummawia Ralte, Lara Sharma
Defenders: Ajith Kumar, Diswa Darjee, Francisco Gonzalez, Joe Zoherliana, Juanan, Namgyal Bhutia, Parag Srivas, Pratik Chaudhari, Rahul Bheke, Wungngayam Muirang
Midfielders: Ajay Chhetri, Amay Morajkar, Cleiton Silva, Dimas Delgado, Emanuel Lalchhanchhuaha, Erik Paartalu, Harmanjot Khabra, Suresh Wangjam, Thoi Singh.
Forwards: Deshorn Brown, Edmund Lalrindika, Kristian Opseth, Leon Augustin, Ashique Kuruniyan, Naorem Singh, Sunil Chhetri, Semboi Haokip
Head coach: Csaba Laszlo
Goalkeepers: karanjit Singh, Revanth BY, Samik Mitra, Vishal Kaith
Defenders: Aqib Nawab, Balaji Ganesan, Deepak Tangri, Eli Sabia, Enes Sipovic, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Reagan Singh, Lalchhuanmawia, Remi.
Midfielders: Abhijit Sarkar, Anirudh Thapa, Dhanpal Ganesh, Edwin Vanspaul, Memo Mouro, Fatkhullo Fatkhuloev, Germanpreet Singh, Thoi Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte, Pandian Sinivasan, Rafael Crivellaro.
Forwards: Aman Chhetri, Esmael Goncalves, Jakub Sylvestr, Rahim Ali.
Head coach: Juan Ferrando
Goalkeepers: Antonio D'Silva, Mohammad Nawaz, Naveen Kumar, Shubham Dhas
Defenders: Aiban Dohling, Ivan Gonzalez, James Donachie, Leander D'Cunha, Mohamed Ali, Sanson Pereira, Serineo Fernandes, Saviour Gama, Seriton Fernandes.
Midfielders: Alberto Noguera, Alexander Jesuraj, Brandon Fernandes, Edu Bedia, Flan Gomes, Jorge Mendoza, Lenny Rodrigues, Nestor Dias, Phrangki Buam, Princeton Rebello, Redeem Tlang, Seiminlen Doungel.
Forwards: Aaren D'Silva, Devendra Murgaonkar, Igor Angulo, Ishan Pandita, Makan Chote
Head coach: Manuel Marquez Roca
Goalkeepers: Lalbiakhlua Jongte, Laxmikant Kattimani, Manas Dubey, Subrata Paul
Defenders: Akash Mishra, Asish Rai, Chinglensana Singh, Dimple Bhagat, Kynsailang Khongsit, Nikhil Prabhu, Odei Onaindia, Sahil Panwar.
Midfielders: Abhishek Halder, Adil Khan, Sahil Tavora, Halicharan Narzary, Hitesh Sharma, Joao Victor, Laldanmawia Ralte, Lluis Sastre, Mark Zothanpuia, Mohammed Yasir, Nikhil Poojary, Souvik Chakrabarti, Sweden Fernandes.
Forwards: Aridane Santana, Fran Sandaza, Ishan Dey, Joel Chianese, Lalawmpuia, Liston Colaco, Rohit Danu.
Head coach: Owen Coyle
Goalkeepers: Niraj Kumar, Pawan Kumar, Raj Mahato, TP Rehenesh, Vishal Yadav
Defenders: Joyner Lourenco, Karan Amin, Laldinliana Renthlei, Manash Protim Gogoi, Narender Gahlot, Peter Hartley, Ricky Lallawmawma, Sandip Mandi, Stephen Eze, Subhash Barua.
Midfielders: Aitor Monroy, Alexander Lima, Amarjit Singh, Billu Teli, Gaurab, Gorachand Mamdi, Harsha Parui, Issac Vanmalsawma, Jitendra Singh, Mohammad Mobashir, Manisana Singh, Jackichand SIngh.
Forwards: Aniket Jadhav, Bhupender Singh, David Grande, John Fitzgerald, Nerijus Valskis, Sapam Kennedy, William Lalnunfela
Head coach: Kibu Vicuna
Goalkeepers: Albino Gomes, Bilal Husain Khan, Muheet Khan, Prabhsukhan Singh Gill
Defenders: Abdul Hakku, Bakary Kone, Costa Nhamoinesu, Jessel Carneiro, Lalruatthara, Nishu Kumar
Midfielders: Arjun Jayaraj, Ayush Adhikari, Jeakson Singh, Vincente Gomez, Lalthathanga Khawlhring, Givson Singh, Nongdamba Naorem, Prasanth Karuthadathkuni, Rahul KP, Ritwik Das, Rohit Kumar, Sahal Abdul Samad, Seityasen Singh, Sergio Cidoncha, Yendrembam Denechandra.
Forwards: Facundo Pereyra, Gary Hooper, Jordan Murray, Naorem Mahesh Singh, Shaiborlang KHarpan.
Head coach: Sergio Lobera
Goalkeepers: Amrinder Singh, Nishit Shetty, Phurba Lachenpa, Vikram Singh.
Defenders: Amey Ranawade, Valpuia, Mandar Rao Dessai, Mehtab Singh, Mohamad Rakip, Tondonba Singh, Sarthak Golui, Mourtada Fall.
Midfielders: Ahmed Jahouh, Bidyananda Singh, Bipin Singh, Cy Goddard, Farukh Choudhary, Hernan Santana, Hugo Boumous, Asif Khan, Pranjal Bhumij, Raynier Fernandes, Rowlin Borges, Sourav Das, Vignesh Dakshinamurthy, Vikram Singh.
Forwards: Bartholomew Ogbeche, Adam Le Fondre
Head coach: Stuart Baxter
Goalkeepers: Ankit Bhuyan, Arshdeep Singh, Kamaljit Singh, Ravi Kumar.
Defenders: Gaurav Bora, George D'Souza, Hendry Antonay, Jacob, Kamalpreet Singh, Mohd Sajid Dhot, Saurabh Meher, Shubham Sarangi, Steven Taylor.
Midfielders: Baoringdao Bodo, Cole Alexander, Isak Vanlalruatfela, Jerry Mawihmingthanga, S Lalhrezuala, Nandhakumar Sekar, Paul Ramfangzauva, Samuel Lalmuanpuia, Thoiba Singh, Vinit Rai
Forwards: Daniel Lalhlimpuia, Diego Mauricio, Laisham Singh, Manuel Onwu, Marcelo Pareira
Head coach: Gerard Nus
Goalkeepers: Gurmeet, Nikhil Deka, Sanjiban Ghosh, Subhasish Roy.
Defenders: Ashutosh Mehta, Benjamin Lambot, Dylan Fox, Gurjinder Kumar, Mashoor Shereef, Nabin Rabha, Nimm Dorjee, Provat Lakra, Rakesh Pradhan, Wayne Vaz.
Midfielders: Fedrico Gallego, Imran Khan, Khassa Camara, Lalengmawia, Lalremouia Fanai, Pragyan Gogoi.
Forwards: Britto PM, Idrissa Sylla, Ninthoinganba Meetei, Kwesi Appiah, Lalkhawpuimawai, Luis Machado, Suhair Vadakkepeedika.
Head coach: Robbie Fowler
Goalkeepers: Debjit Majumder, Rafique Ali, Mirshad Michu, Sankar Roy.
Defenders: Abhishek Ambedkar, Anil Chawan, Daniel Fox, Gurtej Singh, Lalramchullova, Mohamed Irshad, Narayan Das, N Rohen Singh, Novin Gurung, Rana Gharami, Samad Malick, Scott Neville, Pritam Singh.
Midfielders: Aaron Amadi-Holloway, Anthony, Bikash Jairu, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Haobam Singh, Jacques, Loken Meitei, Milan Singh, Mohammed Rafique, Sehnaj Singh, Surchandra Singh, Matti Steinmann, Wahengbam Luwang, Yumnam Singh.
Forwards: Balwant Singh, CK Vineeth, Girik Khosla, Hermanpreet Singh, Jeje Lalpekhlua.