MARGAO
The eighth season of the Indian Super League (ISL) is set to kick off in Goa on November 19, while the final will be played on March 20.
Although there is no official confirmation from the organisers, given the current pandemic scenario in the country, which is bracing for the third wave of COVID-19, the league's return to the State for another season is the obvious option.
However, the organisers have been also looking at options and while Qatar and UAE came up as possible venues abroad, it is almost certain that Goa will get the hosting rights again. However, unlike last year, whether or not the tournament will be played behind closed doors remains to be seen.
In 2020-21, the entire tournament was played without spectators in the stands, across three different stadiums. All the players, staff, and members of the ISL franchises as well as the organisers were a part of a secure bio-bubble. It was the very first competitive tournament that was hosted in the country following the first wave of the coronavirus.
Like the last campaign, this time also the ‘home’ grounds for the different teams will be divided across three stadiums, and they have been decided as per the 2020-21 league standings ” Nehru Stadium, Fatorda: Mumbai City, ATK Mohun Bagan and NorthEast United FC; GMC Stadium, Bambolim: FC Goa, Hyderabad FC, Jamshedpur FC and Bengaluru FC; Tilak Maidan, Vasco: Chennaiyin FC, SC East Bengal, Kerala Blasters.
The organising body, FDSL, held an online meeting with the clubs recently to outline and finalise the plans for the upcoming season. Goa, Bengal and Kerala were shortlisted as the three probable hosts but as the last edition was completed in Goa without any hiccups, it is expected that they will be chosen.
“The last ISL season in Goa was a successful one, so it does not make sense to look anywhere else,” said a source. “The three competition venues are good, there were no complaints about the training venues and there are enough starred hotels.”
