Despite it being said for decades, Indian football is on the rise. Similarly, the country’s football league has traversed through different eras of trials, tribulations, and triumphs. However, the inception of the Indian Super League in 2014 ushered a brief revival in how professional league in the country was conceived and conducted while creating legends who left an indelible mark on the game of football and in the hearts of fans across the country.

Backstory

The Indian Super League began as a step to nurture the popularity of football in India as the country got ready to host the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Before Indian Super League, the sport saw limited popularity but still managed to draw large fans, bringing in football icons like Pele, Diego Maradona, and Lionel Messi.

Currently, in its 8th season, the ISL has 11 teams and may see even more teams get into a franchise-based league model by 2023. Unlike league formats in England, Spain, or parts of Europe, ISL clubs enjoy fixed membership, with no promotion, no relegation.

Despite being the fourth-biggest football league in the world on Instagram, ISL still pales in on-field comparison to English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and other similar leagues in Europe and South America.

While many begs to differ by saying that the league is not perfect and still has a long way to go. In a way, it is fair that two things can be true at the same time and the same applies to ISL. The fans always want more, as they should, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that ISL has significantly helped elevate Indian football to new heights.

Better match experience

Before the emergence of ISL, Indian football leagues had poor television coverage coupled with poor branding, marketing, and a dull ambiance which was not enough to attract the audience from the national and international community.

Fast forward to the present day, and ISL has transformed into the hierarchy of Indian football with a collection of marquee players from Europe to South America and young players filtering down the football pyramid to lift the level considerably. Former Brazilian footballer and Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi Brazilian Roberto Carlos, Alessandro Del Piero, Nicolas Anelka, Luis Garcia, Robert Pires, and coaches like the legendary Zico became the trailblazers of the phenomenon. Many others followed suit including Ferran Corominas and Steven Mendoza who are now idolized as icons.

The TV ratings improved like never before, leveraging social media presence with millions of admirers has also helped the league to attract a fanbase through banners, pictures, and tweets on social media. The rising graph clearly suggests that today’s youth are not just welcoming the game, but enjoying it too.

Fan culture

During the National Football League/I League days, the lack of proper fan involvement programs hurt the growth of football fan culture in the country.

With the advent of the ISL, the fans have found new vigor and are able to attend matches regularly and follow their teams to away matches which ultimately results in a better matchday atmosphere, something that seemed like a pipe dream 10 years ago.

The ISL’s fan engagement programs led to the formation of multiple fan clubs, West Block Blues, Manjapadda, Gaur Army, Red Miners, The Juggernauts, Super Machans, and the latest East Bengal Ultras and Mariners Base Camp.

For others, these games mean nothing in the long term, but for the fans, it is more than a club involvement and every matchday counts as a big event. They become the 12^th man and want to be part of everything the club represents. It takes a very special type of fan to travel across a state to see your local team play in a week, week out. It gives a whole new connection between fans and players if they come from the same city or state. Just look at Edwin at Chennaiyin FC, Sahal Samad at Kerala Blasters, Brandon Fernandes at FC Goa.

Attendance

In terms of attendance too, the ISL has shown encouraging progress over the years while improving the overall perception of the league from both inside, and outside, of the Indian football realm.

In the inaugural year, the average attendance at an ISL match was 24,070 and watched by 429 million viewers on Star TV. In 2015, the spectator count grew to 27,210 per match. The 2015 season also registered the league’s highest attendance of 68,340 between ATK v Chennaiyin in the two-legged second semifinals. The following seasons saw a decline averaging 20,659, 14,731, 11,908 respectively. And the past two seasons have been played behind closed doors owing to the pandemic. However, in the coming years, ISL may see even more teams added with promotion, and relegation would be a great sign of integration and promising better fare and a much larger following.

Viewership and Social media reach

An analysis by Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) data shows that the league recorded a giant reach of over 130 million in the 2021 season; surpassed the previous season in terms of Television Ratings, Time Spent Viewing, brand integrations, and social buzz.

The 2021 season also garnered 3.42 billion viewing minutes compared to the 2020 season’s 3.16 billion as well as 16% pan-India growth from the 2020 season’s viewership numbers. Smart broadcasting coverage by Star India has played a part, too in rising the numbers with its grandeur touch of localized telecast in regional language and high-engaging content to reach out to more people.

And let’s not forget that in an extremely tech-savvy Indian youth in the digital platform, there has been a drastic increase in engagement as well. And also remember that ISL’s engagement in digital media is more than double of Italy’s Serie A.

Direct links with foreign clubs

With an eye to improving the level of football in India and expanding their own brand, some European clubs have taken steps to get involved with ISL clubs. One of the most significant deals in the history of the league was when City Football Group added Mumbai City FC to their portfolio of football clubs after acquiring a majority stake of 65%.

Germany’s Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund has a partnership with Hyderabad FC in the enhancement of the academy and coach education. Scottish Premiership champions Rangers FC and Bengaluru FC forged a technical deal of setting up football schools and holding training camps in Bengaluru. And other German Bundesliga side RB Leipzig established a strategic partnership with FC Goa to offer their facilities in order to develop Indian talents and also expand their own brand in the country. All these tie-ups with foreign clubs inspire and pave the way for the next generation of footballing stars in India.

Recognition

Clubs in Asia and Europe are noticing the massive talent nurtured in the ISL.  Many young talents have had tryouts with European clubs but failed to pen a deal. Ashique Kuruniyan, Jeje Lalpekhlua, Lallianzuala Chhangte, and Brandon Fernandes to name a few who were a touching distance of the ultimate dream of playing in Europe.

Commitment to youth development and grooming domestic talent

Finally, the ISL academy system is an important part of the league’s growth and stability that simply didn’t exist in the first few years.

During the initial years of ISL, playing in I-League and state tournaments was the biggest pipeline for young players to enter the ISL. That meant that players usually spent years playing in the college environment. However, this system is now constantly improving, with ISL having youth academies at every club, teams across the country becoming more and more competitive and the number of younger kids who want to play football constantly increasing as well.

Just as important as the improvements made on the youth are the strides made on focusing on the growth of domestic talent as well, which also happened to be an important ingredient for long-term growth while ultimately giving the national team a much-needed boost.

Moving forward                                           

The pandemic may have interrupted the last two seasons running the league being played in a bio-bubble environment with no crowds but it is easy to see where ISL is going, even if it is not there yet. When ISL began, nobody knew where it might lead. Most figured it would end up as other defunct leagues in the country. Thankfully, the league is still thriving. If this is how far Indian Super League has come in just 8 short years, there is no limit to what the next 8 and beyond may hold.

The Sports School has partnered with Bengaluru FC to provide aspiring footballers with world-class training to reach the next level. At The Sports School campus, we offer a Professional Football Coaching Program with experienced coaches licensed by AFC and AIFF, where the monitoring and evaluation of the student’s performance will be done by Head of Youth Development and BFC Youth Academy coaches.

[maxbutton id=”1″ url=”https://thesportsschool.com/football/” ]

The post From irrelevance to hierarchy: How has ISL revolutionized Indian Football? appeared first on The Sports School.

Let’s take a look at the ISL 2021: Top 5 Memories that have captured people’s hearts this season –

• NorthEast United FC and ATK Mohun Bagan – First leg play-offs 

Image Source – scroll.in

The drama began when Idrissa Sylla lost a spot to teammate Deshorn Brown on the regular line-up, owing to his form. Since this was the first part of the play-off game, the energy was at an all-time high. Since Brown was missing, Sylla stepped up to save Brown’s side from what would otherwise have been a loss in this leg. To ensure a spot in and qualify for the second leg, Sylla’s striking play enabled him to pop up and power across by Luis Machado – well past Arindam Bhattacharya – making sure the team had a solid chance to win. 

• Mumbai City vs FC Goa – Pandita’s header

Image Source – News18

All eyes this season have been on FC Goa’s Ishan Pandita. Pandita has proven his worth as a sub, especially during the 3-3 draw match between Mumbai City and FC Goa. he battled on like a warrior on being admitted into the game towards the latter half, and didn’t give up even when FC Goa was vying hard to build themselves up from a 2-3. In the 95th minute, Pandita rose like a phoenix to head a shot made by Edu Bedia straight into the net, making Goans go wild with excitement. He indeed proved that he is one player who just has to be off the bench to make a difference for his team.  

• Mumbai City vs FC Goa – Penalty Shootout
  
  

  Image Source – Sportskeeda

Penalty shootouts are always nerve-wracking for any football match – and more so when it’s being played between two frantically rival teams, and that too as a semi-final decider. Recently, the ISL semi-finals were among the most exciting semi-finals Indian football has witnessed in a long time as FC Goa and Mumbai City went head to head in a penalty shootout to decide who would make it to the finals. The match ended in a 2-2, due to which a penalty shootout was held. With bated breath, the country erupted to cheer as Mumbai City made it into the finals, making its debut into an ISL final. 

• Chennaiyin FC vs FC Goa – Win-Loss-Win

Image Source – ISL

One of the best goals this season was by Rafael Crivellaro as he kicked a goal with great panache from a corner directly into the net, helping Chennaiyin score a 2-1 goal over FC Goa. Rafael’s corner kick in the 11th minute of the game made it the third time ever to be scored this way in the ISL. However, within 4 minutes of this fantastic corner kick, FC Goa bounced back with a skilled goal from Ortiz Mendoza, leveling the game back. Eventually, the game ended with Chennaiyin winning the match as Rahim Ali scored another one for the team. 

• Fan Wall Moments – Truly Bringing the Spirit of the Game Alive 

Image Source – Youtube

This year, the ISL was held a little differently. Due to the pandemic, fans were forced to experience the game via virtual means instead of feeling the adrenaline inside the stadium. But this didn’t stop their energy. The ISL website has dedicated an entire “Fan wall” of moments to capture the football matches’ spirit through their dedicated fans. These fan wall moments are one of the top highlights of the ISL – you can see fans of all ages, intently plastered across their screens cheering loud, rejoicing, feeling the pain, hooting for their team players. It’s so heartening to see these fans from across various parts of the country adding more zeal and enthusiasm to the game, even as they remain isolated. It truly brings out the impact the ISL has on the nation and bringing people together, even in a pandemic.

We know that Mumbai City has made it into the final – who will battle it out with them to win the league this year? Will it be ATK Mohun Bagan or NorthEast United? Will the final have more thrill than these top ISL 2021 memories? We’ll soon find out. Don’t forget to watch the final and immerse yourself in the spirit of India’s exhilarating love for football! 

The Sports School Football Academy with Bengaluru FC provides aspiring footballers with world-class training to reach the next level. At The Sports School campus, we offer a Professional Football Coaching Program with experienced coaches licensed by AFC and AIFF, where the monitoring and evaluation of the student’s performance will be done by Head of Youth Development and BFC Youth Academy coaches.

Competitive and friendly match opportunities on a regular basis will be arranged with quality opponents and talented students will get an opportunity to play at the BFC Youth Academy teams. The Bengaluru FC Grassroots / Youth Development program is the first step in the career of a young aspiring footballer. Students will also be provided Sports Science expertise (Strength & Conditioning, Nutrition, and Injury Prevention concepts).

The post ISL 2021: Top 5 Memories appeared first on The Sports School.

About ISL:-

The Indian Super League (ISL) is the highest level of a Professional Football League in India founded in October 2013. The league involves 11 teams with each season usually running from November to March. During the league stage of the competition, each club/team plays 20 games against the others in an all-play-all tournament (or round-robin style). The top four teams at the end of the league stage qualify for the play-offs. The season then winds up with the ISL Final to discover the Champion. The league has been officially known as the Hero Indian Super League since its initiation as Hero MotoCorp signed a sponsorship agreement with ISL. Its organizing committee are AIFF (All India Football Federation), FSDL (Football Sports Development Limited) and Star Sports. Initially, the league started with 8 teams, then expanded to 10 teams in 2017-18 and currently it has 11 teams competing against each other. 

Competition Format:-

The league stage follows a double round-robin format (all-play-all), with each club playing against others twice, once at their home stadium and once at their opponents’ stadium, for a total of 18 matches each. Teams earn 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, with the highest-ranked club at the end of the league stage being awarded the ISL League Winners Shield and the top 4 ranked teams advancing to the finals.

Clubs:-

CLUB		LOCATION	HOME GROUND	HEAD COACH	OWNERS
	ATK Mohun Bagan	Kolkata, West Bengal	Salt Lake Stadium	Aptonia Lopez	Sourabh Ganguly, Sanjiv Goenka
	Bengaluru FC	Bangalore, Karnataka	Sree Kanteerava Stadium	Carles Cuadrat	JSW Group
	Chennaiyin FC	Chennai, Tamil Nadu	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Chennai)	Csaba Laszlo	Abhishek Bachchan, MS Dhoni
	SC East Bengal	Kolkata, West Bengal	Salt Lake Stadium	Robbie Fowler	Shree Cement
	FC Goa	Margao, Goa	Fatorda Stadium	Juan Ferrando	Virat Kohli, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala
	Hyderabad FC	Hyderabad, Telangana	G.M.C Balayogi Stadium	Manuel Marquez	Rana Daggubati
	Jamshedpur FC	Jamshedpur, Jharkhand	JRD Tata Sports Complex	Owen Coyle	Tata Steel
	Kerala Blasters FC	Kochi, Kerala	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi)	Kibu Vicuna	Blasters Sports Ventures Pvt. Ltd.
	Mumbai City FC	Mumbai, Maharashtra	Mumbai Football Arena	Sergio Lobera	Ranbir Kapoor
	Northeast United FC	Guwahati, Assam	Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium	Gerard Nus	John Abraham
	Odisha FC	Bhubaneswar, Odisha	Kalinga Stadium	Stuart Baxter	GMS Inc.

ISL Record holders:-

• Most titles as a Coach:- Antonio Lopez Habas
• Most points in a season:- 40, Bengaluru FC
• Most wins till date:- 51, FC Goa
• Most draws in total:- 35, Kerala Blasters
• Most goals in total:- FC Goa
• Most goal by an Indian in Indian Super League goals:- Sunil Chettri, Bengaluru FC
• Biggest win:- 7-0, FC Goa vs. Mumbai City FC

League Champions:-

• 2014 :- ATK Mohun Bagan
• 2015 :- Chennaiyin FC
• 2016 :- ATK Mohun Bagan
• 2017-18 :- Chennaiyin FC
• 2018-19 :- Bengaluru FC
• 2019-20 :- ATK Mohun Bagan
• 2020-21:- ?

ATK Mohun Bagan holds the most ISL trophies with 3, defeating Chennaiyin FC in the 2019–20 final.

Click below to know about Football program @ The Sports School by Bengaluru FC

[maxbutton id=”1″ url=”https://thesportsschool.com/football-program-at-the-sports-school/” ] 

The post All You Need To Know About ISL (Indian Super League) appeared first on The Sports School.