India's hosting of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017 had led to the Indian Super League being postponed to a late-November start last season, but the fifth edition of the tournament is set to begin in September.
“The ISL will begin on September 29 and the I-League will begin around October 15,” All India Football Federation's general secretary, Kushal Das, told Sportstar on Thursday.
Accounting for two international friendlies that the Indian national team will play ahead of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, Das said the ISL will endure three breaks. “The Indian team will travel to China to play a friendly against them in October and the other friendly (most likely against Saudi Arabia or Syria) will be played in November (between 12 and 20). We will have a break of four to five days then,” he added.
Read: ATK ropes in Moroccan midfielder Noussair El Mimouni
On the national camp that head coach Stephen Constantine will hold ahead of the AFC Asian Cup, Das said, “We're still working on the dates for the national camp. It is most likely to begin on December 14."
Das also clarified that the ISL would have a month-long break until the AFC Cup ends (February 1).
Also read: Bengaluru FC re signs former goalkeeper Poirei
Super Cup to continue
Talking about the Super Cup — which pits the I-League clubs against the ISL clubs — Das said the AIFF would like to continue to run the tournament. “We have every intention of continuing the Super Cup, but we also have to take the views of the clubs. If the Super Cup is held, it will commence two weeks after the ISL.”
Comments
SHARE