The All India Football Federation (AIFF) have announced that I-League will take place entirely at Kolkata in a press release on Saturday. The Members of the All India Football Federation along with the I-League CEOs conducted a video conference meeting on Saturday evening.
Due to the prevailing COVID pandemic situation in the country, the league will be conducted in a bio-secure bubble. Supporters will watch the live streaming of the matches from the comfort of their house.
“The format of the League will be the same as the last edition with all teams playing each other once, and then divided into two groups. While the top half vying for the Championship will comprise 7 teams, the bottom half which will be battling it out for the relegation will have 6 teams,”– CEO of I-League Mr. Sunando Dhar
I-League 2021: Everything you Need to Know
The 2021-22 edition of the I-League will see 13 teams battle for the Championship title. After the lifting off of the relegation last year, Neroca FC will continue to be a part of the competition. While Sreenidhi FC will join as a new team through a direct entry.
A Qualifier round will be held to select the 13th team. A maximum of 10 teams will participate in the Qualifiers at a single venue in Bengaluru.
Hence, the State Football Association directed to nominate a maximum of two teams for the Qualifiers. The League committee will then select one team on the basis of sporting merit and the club licensing criteria. The selected team will join the other 12 teams and compete in the second-tier league of the country. However, the relegation rule will be applicable from this season.
The League have also decided to increase the number of matches to 144 which was previously 80.
The League have already initiated communication with the Indian Football Association of Bengal and the Government to organize the I-League in Kolkata like the last year. The competition is likely to kick off by Mid December.
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