I-League
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| I-League |
|---|
 2007–08 Season |
 |
| Founded |
| 2007 |
| Nation |
 India |
| Relegation To |
| I-League 2nd Division |
| Number of Teams |
| 12 |
| Level on Pyramid |
| Level 1 |
| Asian Qualification |
| AFC - Cup - Present. AFC Champions League From 2008 |
| Domestic Cups |
| Federation Cup (India) Durand Cup |
| Current Champions (2007-08) |
| Dempo Sports Club |
| Main Website |
| Indian Football.Com |
The Indian I-League, is the most prominent football league in India started by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). It will replace the old National Football League which lasted for 11 seasons. The 2007-08 season will be the first for the I-League. The league was setup mainly to develop the standard of Indian Football. The first game was played on the 24th November 2007 and it was contested between Dempo Sports Club and Salgaocar Sports Club, Dempo won the game 3-0.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Starting again 2007-08
Following the decline of the NFL, the AIFF decided to relaunch the national league for the 2007-08 season. The league was renamed the I-League and consists of eight teams from the NFL plus two promoted teams from the former division two. The first ever I-league will be sponsored by ONGC, who were also the previous sponsors of the now defunct NFL. For the first time, clubs in the I-league will be allowed to register four foreigners, though teams will only be allowed to field three during a match. All matches will be telecast live and exclusive on Zee Sports.
Additional incentives have also been provided for Clubs participating in the I-League: 1. Subsidy of Rs. 250,000 for fielding a team in the U19 I-League and a subsidy of Rs. 250,000 for appointing administrative staff. 2. To promote greater attendances and improve the revenues of the Clubs, after deducting the stadium hire charges, 90% of the gate collection will go to the host club. The club will be responsible for the selling of tickets. 3. The club will be given two perimeter boards, six fence level boards and six boards at the first tier level at their home games. 4. Prize Money for Winners has been increased from Rs. 4 Million to Rs. 5 Million, while the Runners-up would get Rs. 2,8 Million, Rs 600,000 more than earlier. 5. The winners of each match will get Rs. 35,000, an increase of Rs 5,000.
The first match was played in Margao, Goa on November 24 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda between rivals Dempo Sports Club and Salgaocar Sports Club.
[edit] Future changes
The I-League from next season onwards would be played only on Saturdays & Sundays from September to March. All state leagues will be played in the same period from September to March, but matchdays would be Wednesdays & Thursdays. An exception has been made for the IFA organised Calcutta Football League for the 2008-09 season due to non-availability of grounds. The IFA has been allowed to organise the Calcutta Premier League between May to September 2008, but must resolve the ground problem in time to ensure that the local league for 2009-10 is held between September and March. In one of the most discussed issues it has been decided that players playing in an I-League match for more than 45 minutes will not be allowed to participate in the subsequent state league match.
[edit] Clubs and stadia
[edit] I-League 1st Division for the 2008-09 season
| Club | City/State | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air-India | Mumbai | Cooperage Ground, Mumbai, Maharashtra | 12,000 |
| Churchill Brothers Sports Club | Goa | Jawaharlal Nehru - Fatorda Stadium, Margao | 35,000 |
| Dempo Sports Club | Goa | Jawaharlal Nehru - Fatorda Stadium, Margao | 35,000 |
| East Bengal Club | Kolkata | Salt Lake Stadium, Calcutta, West Bengal | 120,000 |
| JCT FC | Phagwara | Guru Nanak Singh Stadium, Ludhiana, Punjab | 12,000 |
| Mahindra United | Mumbai | Cooperage Ground, Mumbai, Maharashtra | 12,000 |
| Mohun Bagan | Kolkata | Salt Lake Stadium, Calcutta, West Bengal | 120,000 |
| Vasco Sports Club | Goa | Jawaharlal Nehru - Fatorda Stadium, Margao | 35,000 |
| Sporting Clube de Goa | Goa | Jawaharlal Nehru - Fatorda Stadium, Margao | 35,000 |
| Mumbai FC | Mumbai | Cooperage Ground, Mumbai, Maharashtra | 12,000 |
| Mohammedan Sporting Club | Kolkata | Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, West Bengal | 120,000 |
| Chirag United Sports Club | Kolkata | Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata, West Bengal | 120,000 |
Four clubs were promoted to I League from League 2 for the 2008/2009 season. They are Mohammedan Sporting Club, Chirag United Sports Club, Vasco Sports Club, and Mumbai Football Club.
[edit] I League 2nd Division for the 2009 Season
| Club | City/State | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viva Kerala | Kochi,Kerala | Municipal Corporation Stadium, Kochi | 35,000 |
| Salgaocar Sports Club | Goa | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Margao | 120,000 |
| Indian Bank | Chennai,Tamil Nadu | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | 40,000 |
| ONGC | Mumbai,Maharashtra | Cooperage Ground | 12,000 |
| Amity United FC | Gurgaon,Haryana | Devi Lal Stadium, Gurgaon | 12,000 |
| HAL | BangaloreKarnataka | Bangalore Stadium | 15,000 |
| OIL | Duliajan, Assam | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | 25,000 |
| New Delhi Heroes | New Delhi | Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi | 15,000 |
| Pune FC | Pune,Maharashtra | ||
| SBT | Thiruvananthapuram,Kerala | Chandrashekar Nair Stadium | 60,000 |
Viva Kerala and Salgaocar Sports Club were relegated from last years I League and will play in League 2 for the 2009 season.
[edit] Media and broadcasting
Zee Sports and TEN Sports are the media partners of the I-League for the 2007-08 season. Zee Sports signed a $70 Million deal for domestic rights for 10 years. The deal is set to be renewed for 10 more years.
[edit] External links
- Kolkata Football
- the-aiff.com - Official website of the All India Football Federation
- [1] - India's Premier Football Site
- [2] - I-League - The Home of India's Premier League
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