Ten Things You Might Find Out About The I-League But Which We'd Like To Tell You About Anyway

As another season of rivalry, goals, saves, blunders and magic is about to get underway, we bring you 10 things you might have found out about the I-League if you had just tried


 

• Out of the fourteen teams competeing in the 2011-12 season's I-League, there are four each from Kolkata in West Bengal and from all over Goa. The others are from Maharashtra (Mumbai - 2, Pune - 1), Kerala (Kannur - 1), Karnataka (Bangalore - 1) and Shillong.

• The four teams from Kolkata will be playing at the 120000 seater Salt Lake Stadium, and so is the case with the four Goan teams will be playing in Margao's 27300 capacity Fatorda Stadium and both the teams from Mumbai will play in the 12000 seater Cooperage Ground (though they will play their first few matches in Pune due to the renovations at the Cooperage). Pune FC's home ground is going to be the Shri Shiv Chhhatrapati Sports Complex, which has a capacity of 20000. Chirag United Club Kerala will play in the 60000 seater Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium (a.k.a. Kaloor International Stadium locally) in Kochi. HAL will be in the 15000 seater Bangalore Football Stadium and Shillong Lajong in Imphal's Khuman Lampak Main Stadium which holds 25000 (though they may later play in Shillong).

 

Its that time again! Mohun Bagan supporters run riot at the Salt Lake Stadium

• Armando Colaco of Dempo is the longest serving of the 14 managers fighting it out for this year's title, and the only one to have been a there before the formation of the I-League itself, having been at the helm since 2000, during the National Football League days. He is also the only one to be at a club since before 2008.

• Mohun Bagan's Odafa Okolie is the all time top scorer in the I-League with an impressive tally of 89 goals over four seasons. He has yet another season to try and add to the number. Other players in the top 10 all-time scorers who are still active in the I-League are Dempo's Ranti Martins (2nd with 69 goals), Prayag United's Yusif Yakubu (3rd with 42), Salgaocar's Chidi Edeh (5th with 32), Mohun Bagan's Sunil Chhetri (6th with 31) and Jose Ramirez Barreto (joint 7th with 29) and Josimar Martins (joint 9th with 22).

• Ranti Martins holds the record for both most goals scored in a single season (30 in 2010-11) and the most number of goals scored in a match (6) when Dempo beat Air India 14-0 on 30th May 2011. This is also the highest margin of victory in an I-League match.

• The I-League title has never left the borders of Goa, with the title having been won by 3 of the four Goan clubs in this edition of the I-League. Dempo in 2007-08 and 2009-10, Churchill Brothers in 2008-09 and last season's champions Salgaocar.

Last season's champions, Salgaocar SC. Will the trophy ever leave Goa?

• Another team has disbanded after Mahindra United in 2010. This time it is the successful JCT FC from Punjab. They cite disinterest in Indian football as the unfortunate reason for thier closure. They will, however, continue running the successful JCT Academy, which won the I-League U19 in 2011.

• The prize money up for grabs is Rs. 70,00,000, Rs. 40,00,000, Rs. 25,00,000 and Rs. 15,00,000 for the top 4 positions in the table. Every match won entails a Rs. 35,000 bonus and the Man of the Match walks away with Rs. 5000. The league champions additionally gain a spot in the AFC Champions League playoff qualification round.

• After having broken off its broadcast deal with Zee Telefilms at the start of the last season, severely disrupting televisation of the games, the AIFF has struck another deal to broadcast the matches nationally, this time under the banner of TEN Action+. Regional channels will continue to broadcast the matches that were part of earlier deals, though.

Okolie: The best paid in the country. But with his goal return, why not?

• The biggest transfer of the season is Odafe Okolie's move to Mohun Bagan, which nets him a reported Rs. 1,50,00,000, cementing his position as the highest paid footballer in India.

Posted in: I-League