2023–24 I-League
The 2023–24 I-League will be the 17th season of the I-League, second season as the second tier of Indian football league system.[2]
Season | 2023–24 |
---|---|
Dates | 28 October 2023 – April 2024[1] |
← 2022–23 2024–25 → |
Changes from last season
Promoted to Indian Super League
Relegated to I-League 2
Corporate entries
The AIFF accepted five bids for direct entry to I-League.[11][12][13]
Bunkerhill Pvt Ltd (Ambala) withdrew its bid after inking a majority shareholding in Mohammedan. Nimida United Sports Development Pvt Ltd (Bengaluru United) and Concatenate Advest Advisory Pvt Ltd (Delhi) were unable to fulfill the bid conditions.[16][17]
Inter Kashi, from a tier-2 city (Varanasi), will have relegation immunity for two seasons; while Namdhari FC, from a tier-3 city (Sri Bhaini Sahib village), will be free from relegation for one season.[18]
Rules
After the clubs requested to increase the maximum number of players allowed in a squad, the Committee decided to increase the player quota from 30 to 35. Clubs will also have to sign eight U-22 players.[19]
Format
AIFF proposed to revamp the league format by dividing the 16 teams into two conferences or zones, similar to Major League Soccer, with the top 4 teams from each conference qualifying for the playoffs and the bottom four battling to avoid relegation, instead of traditional home-away format.[20][21] The change was suggested to make the league cost-effective for clubs by reducing travel time. However, with only 13 teams left to participate in the league, the proposed changes were dropped in favor of the traditional home-away format.[6][22]
Teams
13 teams to compete in this edition of the I-League; nine from the previous season, two promoted from the 2022–23 I-League 2, and two with direct entry.[6][5] Five teams are set to play their home games out of their home state or city because of various reasons.[23]
2023–24 I-League clubs
![2023–24 I-League is located in India](../I/India_location_map_3.png.webp)
![Imphal](../I/Blue_pog.svg.png.webp)
Club | State/UT | City | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aizawl | Mizoram | Aizawl | Rajiv Gandhi Stadium | 20,000 |
Churchill Brothers | Goa | Vasco | Tilak Maidan | 5,000 |
Delhi[n 1] | Delhi | New Delhi | Namdhari Stadium | 1,000 |
Gokulam Kerala | Kerala | Kozhikode | EMS Stadium | 50,000 |
Inter Kashi | Uttar Pradesh | Varanasi | Ekana Football Stadium | 2,000 |
Mohammedan | West Bengal | Kolkata | Naihati Stadium | 20,000 |
Namdhari | Punjab | Bhaini Sahib | Namdhari Stadium | 1,000 |
NEROCA[n 2] | Manipur | Imphal | Kalyani Stadium | 20,000 |
Rajasthan United[n 3] | Rajasthan | Jaipur | Deccan Arena | 1,500 |
Real Kashmir | Jammu & Kashmir | Srinagar | TRC Turf Ground | 11,000 |
Shillong Lajong | Meghalaya | Shillong | SSA Stadium | 5,000 |
Sreenidi Deccan | Telangana | Hyderabad | Deccan Arena | 1,500 |
TRAU[n 4] | Manipur | Imphal | Kalyani Stadium | 20,000 |
Personnel and sponsorship
Team | Head coach | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aizawl | ![]() |
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NECS Limited[25] |
Churchill Brothers | ![]() |
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Churchill Brothers | |
Delhi | ![]() |
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Colordesign India[27] |
Gokulam Kerala | ![]() |
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CSB Bank[29] |
Inter Kashi | ![]() |
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Cello | |
Mohammedan | ![]() |
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Openion Edge[31] | |
Namdhari | ![]() |
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NEROCA | ![]() |
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GOELD Frozen Foods[32] |
Rajasthan United | ![]() |
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Real Kashmir | ![]() |
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Hotel CH2 Srinagar[34] | |
Shillong Lajong | ![]() |
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Sreenidi Deccan | ![]() |
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Sreenidhi Sports Academy |
TRAU | ![]() |
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HVS |
Coaching changes
Team | Outgoing head coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Round | Table | Incoming | Date of appointment | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gokulam Kerala | ![]() |
End of contract | 31 May 2023 | Pre-season | ![]() |
6 June 2023 | [36] | |
Delhi | ![]() |
End of contract | 31 May 2023 | ![]() |
25 June 2023 | [37] | ||
Inter Kashi | Inaugural manager | ![]() |
29 June 2023 | [38] | ||||
Churchill Brothers | ![]() |
End of contract | 31 May 2023 | ![]() |
29 July 2023 | [39] | ||
Mohammedan | ![]() |
Sacked | 22 August 2023 | ![]() |
29 August 2023 | [40] | ||
Aizawl | ![]() |
End of interim period | 31 May 2023 | ![]() |
2 September 2023 | [41] | ||
NEROCA | ![]() |
End of contract | 1 October 2023 | ![]() |
8 October 2023 | [42] | ||
Namdhari | ![]() |
End of contract | ![]() |
6 October 2023 | [43] |
Foreign players
Note: Players in bold have senior international cap(s) for their respective nations.
Initially, the Committee decided to reduce registered foreign players to five in the squad and three in the starting line-up and remove the mandatory Asian quota.[44][45]
However, on 22nd August 2023, the AIFF decided to retain the number of foreigners a club can sign in the I-League. Like the 2022–23 season, clubs can register six foreign players (including one from an AFC Member Association) in their matchday squad. However, they can field only four (one must be from an AFC Member Association) at any given point during a match.[46]
League table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aizawl | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Champions and promotion to 2024–25 Indian Super League |
2 | Churchill Brothers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
3 | Delhi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
4 | Gokulam Kerala | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
5 | Inter Kashi | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
6 | Mohammedan SC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
7 | Namdhari | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
8 | NEROCA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
9 | Rajasthan United | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
10 | Real Kashmir | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
11 | Shillong Lajong | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
12 | Sreenidi Deccan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Relegation to 2024–25 I-League 2 |
13 | TRAU | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) drawing of lots
Attendances
Overall statistical table
Pos | Team | Total | High | Low | Average | Change |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | NEROCA | NA | ||||
2 | Real Kashmir | NA | ||||
3 | Gokulam Kerala | NA | ||||
4 | Aizawl | NA | ||||
5 | TRAU | NA | ||||
6 | Churchill Brothers | NA | ||||
7 | Mohammedan | NA | ||||
8 | Rajasthan United | NA | ||||
9 | Shillong Lajong | NA† | ||||
10 | Sreenidi Deccan | NA | ||||
11 | Delhi | NA† | ||||
12 | Inter Kashi | n/a* | ||||
13 | Namdhari | n/a* | ||||
League total | NA |
Source: I-League
Notes:
† Teams played previous season in I-League 2.
* Teams that joined I-League through corporate direct entry.
Attendances by home matches
Team \ Match played | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aizawl | |||||||||||||
Churchill Brothers | |||||||||||||
Delhi | |||||||||||||
Gokulam Kerala | |||||||||||||
Inter Kashi | |||||||||||||
Mohammedan SC | |||||||||||||
Namdhari | |||||||||||||
NEROCA | |||||||||||||
Rajasthan United | |||||||||||||
Real Kashmir | |||||||||||||
Sreenidi Deccan | |||||||||||||
Shillong Lajong | |||||||||||||
TRAU |
Legend: Highest
Lowest
Source: I-League
See also
- Men
- 2023–24 Indian Super League (Tier I)
- 2023–24 I-League 2 (Tier III)
- 2023–24 I-League 3 (Tier IV)
- 2023–24 Indian State Leagues (Tier V)
- 2024 Indian Super Cup
- 2023 Durand Cup
- 2024 Reliance Foundation Development League
- Women
References
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- "AIFF likely to be left with only two new direct entrants in I-League". The Times of India. 24 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
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- Mergulhao, Marcus (4 July 2023). "AIFF revamp I-league with new format". The Times Of India. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
- "Indian football federation mulling US-style conference format for I-League". The Indian Express. 3 July 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
- "I-League 2023-24 format announced by AIFF". Firstpost. 11 August 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
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- Das Sharma, Amitabha (19 January 2018). "Aizawl looks to build future with own hands". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
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{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - "We delighted to announce @goeldfrozenfood & GCKC Projects and Works Pvt. Ltd. as our Principal Sponsor for the upcoming I League". @NerocaFC. 9 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- "We are thrilled to announce Omtex Sports as our official Kit Partner for the season". @rajasthanunitedfc. 13 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
- "Real Kashmir FC: Official Website". Real Kashmir FC. Archived from the original on 12 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- "We have tie up with SIX5SIX as the Kit Partner for this season". @officialtraufc. 12 September 2022. Archived from the original on 15 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
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- The club is based in Delhi but will play its home games in Punjab for the 2023–24 season due to the unavailability of stadiums.
- The club is based in Manipur but will play its home games in West Bengal for the 2023–24 season due to the 2023 Manipur violence
- The club is based in Rajasthan but will play its home games in Hyderabad for the 2023–24 season due to the unavailability of stadiums.
- The club is based in Manipur but will play its home games in West Bengal for the 2023–24 season due to the 2023 Manipur violence