MARGAO
The 2021-22 season of the Indian Super League (ISL) will start on November 19 and will be held in Goa, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has said.
Speaking to 'Sportstar', the AIFF general secretary, Kushal Das said the ISL 2021-22 will be played behind closed doors in accordance with the COVID-19 protocols in place. The 2020-21 ISL season too was held in Goa with the matches being played at three venues -- Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim and the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco.
“We will once again use the same venues as last season,” Kushal Das said.
Last season, the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the organisers of the league, managed to deliver a successful competition amidst the pandemic with the 11 participating teams placed inside a bio-bubble at their respective hotels for five months.
The AIFF general secretary also confirmed that the domestic competition -- Super Cup -- will once again not be held. “The Super Cup can’t be held before in view of the current situation,” Das said, adding that it was proving ‘very difficult’ to schedule the event before the ISL season.
The Super Cup, a knock-out competition featuring teams from both the ISL and the I-League, replaced Federation Cup as a domestic knock-out event in 2018. Mumbai City FC won the last season of the Indian Super League.
