[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki19\/2020-21-i-league-wikipedia\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki19\/2020-21-i-league-wikipedia\/","headline":"2020\u201321 I-League – Wikipedia","name":"2020\u201321 I-League – Wikipedia","description":"14th season of the I-League Football league season The 2020\u201321 I-League (known as the Hero I-League for sponsorship reasons) was","datePublished":"2019-09-25","dateModified":"2019-09-25","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki19\/author\/lordneo\/#Person","name":"lordneo","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki19\/author\/lordneo\/","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9645c498c9701c88b89b8537773dd7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9645c498c9701c88b89b8537773dd7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Enzyklop\u00e4die","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/wiki4\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/download.jpg","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/maps.wikimedia.org\/img\/osm-intl,a,a,a,300x200.png?lang=en&domain=en.wikipedia.org&title=2020%E2%80%9321+I-League&revid=1142393088&groups=_d28684f7c5fa63160233a8b1d3c3df20a766aa35","url":"https:\/\/maps.wikimedia.org\/img\/osm-intl,a,a,a,300x200.png?lang=en&domain=en.wikipedia.org&title=2020%E2%80%9321+I-League&revid=1142393088&groups=_d28684f7c5fa63160233a8b1d3c3df20a766aa35","height":"200","width":"300"},"url":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki19\/2020-21-i-league-wikipedia\/","wordCount":9899,"articleBody":"14th season of the I-LeagueFootball league seasonThe 2020\u201321 I-League (known as the Hero I-League for sponsorship reasons) was the 14th season of the I-League, one of the top tier Indian professional football leagues, since its establishment in 2007. The tournament was hosted in bio-secure bubble across four venues in Kolkata due to COVID-19 pandemic situation in India.Mohun Bagan was declared the champion of the 2019\u201320 season after the cancellation of matches due to the COVID-19 pandemic, since the second placed team could not catch up even if all 20 games were completed.[1] However, following Mohun Bagan’s merger with Indian Super League (ISL) club ATK, the club began competing in the ISL from the 2020\u201321 ISL season.[2]Throughout the First Phase, Churchill Brothers kept its dominance with an unbeaten run of 11 games, while in the Second Phase, Gokulam Kerala, Churchill Brothers and TRAU traded the lead several times throughout the Championship Stage. Entering the final matchday, Gokulam Kerala were ahead on goal difference. However, with the Gokulam and TRAU facing off, either team could claim the title with a win. A draw in the Gokulam Kerala\u2013TRAU match and a win were needed for Churchill Brothers to be crowned champions. The game ended in a 4\u20131 win for Gokulam, giving the Malabarians their first I-league title and qualification for the AFC Cup. NEROCA finished bottom of the Relegation Stage and were to relegated, but were reinstated by AIFF after the viewing the situation of Covid-19 pandemic.[3]Table of ContentsChanges from last season[edit]Changes in rules and regulations[edit]Number of clubs[edit]Promoted clubs[edit]Relegated clubs[edit]Stadiums and locations[edit]Personnel and sponsorship[edit]Head coaching changes[edit]Transfers[edit]Foreign players[edit]First phase[edit]Standings[edit]Fixtures and results[edit]Positions by matchday[edit]Results by games[edit]Second phase[edit]Championship stage (Group A)[edit]Fixtures and results[edit]Positions by matchday[edit]Results by games[edit]Relegation stage (Group B)[edit]Fixtures and results[edit]Positions by matchday[edit]Results by games[edit]Final standings[edit]Season statistics[edit]Scoring[edit]Top scorers[edit]Top Indian scorers[edit]Top assists[edit]Hat-tricks[edit]Clean Sheets[edit]Discipline[edit]Hero of the Match[edit]Season awards[edit]Team of the season[edit]See also[edit]References[edit]Changes from last season[edit]Changes in rules and regulations[edit]AIFF has implemented the ‘3+1’ foreigners rule from this season. Under this rule, each club will be allowed to field a maximum of four foreign players and one of those four foreign players must be from an AFC affiliated country.[4]Due to COVID-19 pandemic, this season’s league format was shortened. All teams will face each other once in the first leg of the league, then they will be divided into two different groups. According to points table from first leg, top six teams will face each other once again in the Championship stage, where the team with most points (cumulative points collected from all fifteen matches) will be declared the winner of the league and qualify for the 2022 AFC Cup group stage. The other five teams will play against each other in a Relegation stage where the team with the lowest points (cumulative points collected from all fourteen matches) will be relegated to the 2nd Division League.[5]Number of clubs[edit]All India Football Federation (AIFF) issued an invitation to accept bids for new clubs from non I-League cities, like Delhi, Gangtok, Ranchi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mangalore, Bhopal, Lucknow, Kanpur, Ahmedabad and Calicut among many others, to join the league from 2020 onwards. The invitation mentioned that the entity which wins the bid will be granted the right to own and operate a new football club.[6] On 12 August, AIFF announced that Sudeva of Delhi would join the league from this season and Sreenidi Deccan, which is based in Hyderabad, will be playing from Visakhapatnam from the following season.[7][8][9]East Bengal and Mohun Bagan moved to the Indian Super League, when East Bengal joined the league as an expansion team, while Mohun Bagan and ATK, the champions of 2019\u201320 ISL season, merged to play as ATK Mohun Bagan in the ISL.[10][11]Promoted clubs[edit]Promoted from the 2019\u201320 2nd Division LeagueRelegated clubs[edit]Relegated from the 2019\u201320 I-LeagueLocations of the I-League clubsLocations of the stadiums for I-leagueStadiums and locations[edit]Due to COVID-19 pandemic, all the matches will be played in a single venue. AIFF declared Kolkata as the venue on 14 August.[13] Matches will be played in Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Kishore Bharati Krirangan and Mohun Bagan Ground[14] in Kolkata, and Kalyani Stadium in Kalyani.[15]TeamLocationAizawlAizawl, MizoramChennai CityCoimbatore, Tamil NaduChurchill BrothersMargao, GoaGokulam KeralaCalicut, KeralaIndian ArrowsMumbai, MaharashtraMohammedanKolkata, West BengalNEROCAImphal, ManipurReal KashmirSrinagar, Jammu and KashmirTRAUImphal, ManipurSudeva DelhiNew Delhi, DelhiPunjabLudhiana, PunjabPersonnel and sponsorship[edit]Head coaching changes[edit]Transfers[edit]Foreign players[edit]Minimum of three and maximum of four foreign players including one player from AFC\u2014affiliated country per team.[40] Indian Arrows cannot sign any foreign players as they are a part of AIFF’s developmental program. The newly joined team, Sudeva Delhi will field an all-Indian squad for its debut I-League season.[41]Players name in bold indicates the players who are capped for their respective national team.First phase[edit]Standings[edit]Updated to match(es) played on 1 March 2021. Source: I-LeagueRules 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 lotsFixtures and results[edit]All matches were played at neutral venues. The “home” and “away” are designated for administrative purposes.Updated to match(es) played on 1 March 2021. Source: I-LeagueLegend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.Positions by matchday[edit]The table lists the positions of teams after each round mentioned in official fixtures.[42]Promotion to Championship stage (Group A)Demotion to Relegation stage (Group B)Results by games[edit]Source: I-LeagueW = Win; D = Draw; L = LossSecond phase[edit]Championship stage (Group A)[edit]Source: I-LeagueRules 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 lotsFixtures and results[edit]All matches were played at neutral venues. The “home” and “away” are designated for administrative purposes.Source: I-LeagueLegend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.Positions by matchday[edit]The table lists the positions of teams after each round mentioned in official fixtures.Results by games[edit]Source: I-LeagueW = Win; D = Draw; L = LossRelegation stage (Group B)[edit]Source: I-LeagueRules 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 lotsNotes:^ Sudeva Delhi were exempted from relegation for this season, as they had achieved a direct entry into the league.[43]^ Indian Arrows were exempted from relegation, as they are an AIFF developmental team.^ NEROCA were relegated, but were reinstated by AIFF after the viewing the situation of Covid-19 pandemic.[44]Fixtures and results[edit]All matches were played at neutral venues. The “home” and “away” are designated for administrative purposes.Source: I-LeagueLegend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.Positions by matchday[edit]The table lists the positions of teams after each round mentioned in official fixtures.Results by games[edit]Source: I-LeagueW = Win; D = Draw; L = LossFinal standings[edit]Source: I-LeagueRules 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(C) ChampionSeason statistics[edit]Scoring[edit]As of 27 March 2021Top scorers[edit]The table includes only the top 10 goalscorers of this season.Top Indian scorers[edit]The table includes only the list of top Indian goalscorers with more than 2 goals in this season.Top assists[edit]The table includes only the top 10 assist providers of the season.Hat-tricks[edit]Clean Sheets[edit]As of 21 March 2021The table includes only the list of top goalkeepers with more than 1 cleansheet in this season.Discipline[edit]As of 27 March 2021Most yellow cards: 5[45]Most red cards: 2[45]Match 1 – Match 55 = First PhaseMatch 56 – Match 80 = Second PhaseHero of the Match[edit]Season awards[edit]Team of the season[edit]I-League team of 2020\u201321Source: arunfoot.comSee also[edit]References[edit]^ “League Committee sends its recommendations to the AIFF Executive Committee | Hero I-League”. Retrieved 18 April 2020.^ “Bengaluru FC to play in AFC Cup playoffs as AIFF confirms all three continental spots for ISL teams”. Scroll.in. 4 June 2020.^ “AIFF likely to keep relegation on hold in I-League”. The Times of India. 29 April 2021.^ Banerjee, Debkalpa (8 May 2020). “ISL, I-League brace for upheaval as AIFF considers altering foreign player rules”. The Indian Express. Retrieved 19 June 2020.^ “Hero I-League 2020-21 to start on January 9 with a new shorter format”. the-aiff.com. 7 November 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020.^ “AIFF invites bids for new clubs to join Hero I-League 2020 onwards”. AIFF. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2020.^ “Sudeva and Sreenidhi granted playing rights in Hero I-League from 2020-21 and 2021-22 respectively”. AIFF. Retrieved 12 August 2020.^ “Sudeva FC becomes first club from Delhi to play in I-League | Football News – Times of India”. The Times of India. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.^ “Sreenidhi Football Club”. AIFF. Retrieved 13 August 2020.^ “East Bengal to play in ISL 2020-21 – Mamata Banerjee”. ISL. 9 September 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.^ “Mohun Bagan, ATK announce merger; to play ISL next season”. Sportstar. The Hindu. Retrieved 20 January 2020.^ “Mohammedan secure coveted Hero I-League return after 2-0 win over Bhawanipore”. i-league.org. AIFF. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.^ “Hero I-League and Hero 2nd division Qualifiers to be held in Kolkata”. www.the-aiff.com. Retrieved 14 August 2020.^ “Fixtures Page | Hero I-League”. Retrieved 5 January 2021.^ “Sudeva Delhi FC, Mohammedan SC to get Hero I-League 2020-21 underway on January 9”. www.the-aiff.com. Retrieved 9 December 2020.^ “Aizawl FC announce Vamos as Kit Sponsor”. Facebook. 20 November 2020.^ Das Sharma, Amitabha (19 January 2018). “Aizawl looks to build future with own hands”. The Hindu. Retrieved 25 September 2020.^ a b “Nivia Sports Official Website”. Nivia Sports. Retrieved 13 December 2020.^ “Gokulam Kerala sign new kit sponsorship deal with SEGA Shoes”. Facebook. Retrieved 6 December 2020.^ “The Club – Gokulam Kerala FC”. gokulamkeralafc.com. Retrieved 6 November 2020.^ “NEW YEAR, NEW KIT FOR INDIAN FOOTBALL”. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2020.^ “Mohammedan Sport club announce Trak Only as new kit sponsor”. Facebook.com. Retrieved 8 November 2020.^ “Mohammedan Sporting Club – Official Website”. Mohammedan. Archived from the original on 19 May 2004. Retrieved 13 December 2020.{{cite web}}:  CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)^ NEROCA F.C. [@NerocaFC] (25 September 2020). “We are proud that Ambition Sportswear is the official partner of 20-21 kit sponsorship of NEROCA FC” (Tweet). Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020 \u2013 via Twitter.^ “The launching pad is on!”. Facebook.com. Retrieved 14 December 2020.^ “RoundGlass Punjab Football Club”. T10 Sports. Retrieved 13 December 2020.^ “Real Kashmir FC: Official Website”. Arunava Chaudhuri. 11 April 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.^ a b “Real Kashmir FC: Official Website”. Real Kashmir FC. Retrieved 13 December 2020.^ “Sudeva announce Puma as new Kit partner”. Sudeva Delhi FC. Retrieved 7 December 2020.^ “Our Sponsors & Partners”. Sudeva Delhi FC. Retrieved 13 December 2020.^ “ROMI BAG will be the kit partner for TRAU for this edition of I League”. facebook.com\/officialtraufc. TRAU FC (facebook). Retrieved 30 September 2020.^ “GKFC bid adieu to Fernando Santiago Varela”. gokulamkeralafc.com. 17 August 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2020.^ Ajith Kumar, P.K. (1 August 2020). “Gokulam Kerala FC appoints Italian Vincenzo Annese as coach”. Sportstar. The Hindu. Retrieved 13 September 2020.^ a b Joshi, Rutvij (24 September 2020). “Fernando Santiago Varela appointed new Churchill Brothers head coach”. khelnow.com. Retrieved 25 September 2020.^ “Chennai City FC and coach Akbar Nawas part ways”. Sportstar. The Hindu. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.^ “Chennai City FC name Satyasagara as new head coach”. The Times of India. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 10 December 2020.^ a b “Aizawl FC part ways with Rozario | Football News – Times of India”. The Times of India.^ “Mohammedan SC sack Jose Hevia, copy official statement from NorthEast United”. The Bridge. 20 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.^ “I-League Live Streaming, Mohammedan Sporting Vs Chennai City: Preview, When And Where To Watch”. www.outlookindia.com\/. Retrieved 24 February 2021.^ “AIFF Implements ‘3+1’ rule for I-League 2020-21”. Indo-Asian News Service. Times Now. Retrieved 14 May 2020.^ “Sudeva to field an all-Indian team in Hero I-League 2020-21, confirms President Anuj Gupta”. i-league.org. Retrieved 23 August 2020.^ “I-League 2020-21 Fixtures Out: Debutants Sudeva Delhi FC and Mohammedan SC to Kickstart Season”. News18. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.^ “Sudeva FC wins bid for direct entry into the I-League – All you need to know | Goal.com”. www.goal.com. Retrieved 1 March 2021.^ “AIFF likely to keep relegation on hold in I-League”. The Times of India. 29 April 2021.^ a b “Statistics | Hero I-League”.^ a b c d e f g “I-League 2020-21: List of Award Winners as TRAU FC Win Maximum Accolades”. News18. 27 March 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2021.League competitionsCup competitions"},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki19\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"Enzyklop\u00e4die"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https:\/\/wiki.edu.vn\/en\/wiki19\/2020-21-i-league-wikipedia\/#breadcrumbitem","name":"2020\u201321 I-League – Wikipedia"}}]}]