After another disappointing result for the national team in June, which led to the sacking of Igor Stimac, and the retirement of long-serving national team captain Sunil Chhetri, a new season of the Indian Super League (ISL) will be underway, bringing renewed optimism.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF), however, will not be imposing relegation at the end of this season, deviating from the 2019 Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) proposed roadmap. The league has also done away with the mandatory rule requiring an overseas AFC member player to be included in the playing XI. Mohammedan SC is the newly promoted side, having won the I-League for the first time.
The summer transfer window saw its first major move when India international Anwar Ali terminated his loan deal with Mohun Bagan Super Giant and transferred to archrival East Bengal for Rs. 2.5 crore. The dust is yet to settle on the transfer as Anwar has been banned until the end of the year by the AIFF Players’ Status Committee after Mohun Bagan disputed that the player terminated his contract “without a just cause”. The player, however, can appeal the verdict.
Only Mohun Bagan, Kerala Blasters, and Punjab FC have made changes to their coaching personnel in the off-season. Jose Molina, who was the sporting director at the Royal Spanish Football Federation, will return to the coaching dugout with Mohun Bagan.
Drama continues: The dust is yet to settle on Anwar Ali’s transfer as he has been banned until the end of the year by the AIFF Players’ Status Committee after Mohun Bagan disputed that the player terminated his contract “without a just cause”. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Who are the contenders?
On the field, it’s hard to look past Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Mumbai City FC, as the two have shared the League Shield and the Cup between them over the last two seasons. Bagan splashed the cash to lure Lalengmawia Ralte from Mumbai City FC, adding to its already strong Indian midfield core, while Mumbai City has roped in Brandon Fernandes from FC Goa on a free transfer.
Mumbai City has refreshed its overseas roster with relatively younger players. Spaniard and La Masia graduate Jon Toral, who has had top-flight experience in Spain, Scotland, and Greece, is a significant signing for the Islanders. Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan has bolstered its attack with Jamie Maclaren, the A-League’s all-time top scorer, who will link up with last season’s best player, Dimitri Petratos.
Bagan has gone top-heavy this season with Maclaren, Petratos, Jason Cummings, and Greg Stewart, leaving no room for an overseas central midfielder. The onus will fall on the Indian midfielders to control the game from the middle of the park, a role Joni Kauko played in previous seasons.
FC Goa could have faced a major setback if the AIFF had bought out Manolo Marquez’s contract last month. Instead, Marquez will divide his time between his club and the national team this season, before taking on a full-time national role in 2025-26. Ahead of the season opener, Marquez was busy with the Intercontinental Cup in Hyderabad while his club side won the competitive Bandodkar Trophy, which featured strong teams like Brisbane Roar (A-League) and Defensa y Justicia (Argentina’s Primera Division). Goa’s title chances will hinge on how Marquez handles his dual role.
Odisha FC, runner-up to Goa in the final, has retained most of its foreign core while adding ISL’s prolific attacking midfielder Hugo Boumous. Odisha challenged for the top spot for most of last season before fading away, but Sergio Lobera will be optimistic about adding to his team’s solitary Super Cup title.
Challengers for the playoffs
The loss of Anwar for more than half a season will no doubt hurt Carles Cuadrat’s East Bengal. The club was also handed a two window transfer ban and a hefty fine to pay to Mohun Bagan. Besides spending a mammoth Rs. 3.3 crore in transfer fees to secure defensive midfielder Jeakson Singh from the Blasters, the club also signed Dimitrios Diamantakos and Madhi Talal, the best players from Blasters and Punjab FC, respectively, last season. David Lalhlansanga, I-League’s top Indian scorer last season, has also made the step up to the Red and Golds.
NorthEast United FC finally shed its perennial underachiever tag last month by winning its first-ever trophy, defeating a full-strength Mohun Bagan in the Durand Cup final. Juan Pedro Benali brought the Highlanders within a point of a playoff spot last season, and the club has managed to hold on to its young striking talent, Parthib Gogoi, who contributed nine goals. With a trophy under its belt, Benali believes that the club is on the right path and will channel the added pressure to focus on achieving its goals this season.
Test of the best: Chennaiyin FC had a proactive summer transfer window, roping in forwards like Kiyan Nassiri (25) and Gurkirat Singh. It remains to be seen whether they will get regular starting roles. | Photo Credit: PTI
Chennaiyin FC had a proactive summer transfer window, wrapping up most of its deals by June. Now the pressure is on Owen Coyle to get the best out of the Indian core and improve on last season’s sixth-place finish. Forwards Kiyan Nassiri and Gurkirat Singh’s moves to Chennaiyin will be closely watched to see if they can get regular starting roles.
In what could likely be Sunil Chhetri’s final season of professional football, Bengaluru FC has brought in Jose Pereyra Diaz, Alberto Noguera, and Rahul Bheke, all from Mumbai City. The club will be hoping that striker Sivasakthi Narayanan can get back on track after a disappointing campaign last year. While winning the League Shield may be out of reach, the 40-year-old Chhetri will want to have a crack at silverware through the playoffs.
The loss of charismatic coach Ivan Vukomanovic and Jeakson, combined with an underwhelming pre-season, may have dampened expectations for Kerala Blasters fans this season. The additions of Noah Sadoui and Jesus Jimenez bring some value to the squad, but the weakened domestic core could make it difficult for them to challenge for a playoff spot.
Khalid Jamil, the only Indian coach in the ISL, kept Jamshedpur FC firmly in the playoff hunt until a five-match winless run towards the end of the regular season scuppered its chances. Jeremy Monzorro’s departure will likely hurt the club, but a refreshed foreign core, including Javi Hernandez, Javi Siverio, Jordan Murray, Stephen Eze, and Lazar Cirkovic, should keep JFC in the thick of things.
Uncertainties remain
Punjab FC will do well to offset the loss of Talal, Jordan Gill, and former head coach Staikos Vergetis and still compete for the playoffs as it did last season.
New entrant Mohammedan SC will add more history and rivalry to the competition with Kolkata giants Bagan and East Bengal. However, the club lost its top scorer, Lalhlansanga, to East Bengal and will bank on its overseas signings to guide it to a respectable campaign.
Hyderabad FC’s participation was confirmed earlier this month after BC Jindal Group completed a takeover, resolving the financial issues that snowballed from bad to worse under its previous ownership. However, head coach Thangboi Singto will find it hard to rally a lacklustre squad to improve on its bottom-of-the-table finish from last season.
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