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The Indian Super League (ISL) witnesses a tough competition amongst teams every year as they look to secure a top-4 spot in the points table and make it to the semis.
FC Goa have made it to the playoffs six times so far, whereas Kerala Blasters, Hyderabad FC, and FC Pune City haven't made it even once. SC East Bengal also failed to reach the playoffs in their debut ISL season.
With the ongoing ISL 2020-21 reaching its final stage, here we take a look at the teams that have had the most playoff appearances thus far.
FC Goa
Total ISL Play-off Appearances: 6 (2014, 2015, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 & 2020-21)
The Gaurs have made it to the playoffs six times in seven seasons and lead the chart with the most playoff appearances.
In the inaugural edition of the league, FC Goa finished second in the points table, one point behind Chennaiyin FC. They then made it to the playoffs in ISL 2015 after finishing atop the points table.
FC Goa also made it to the playoffs in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 editions of the league after excellent performances in the group stages.
In the last edition of the league, they finished first in the points table with a tally of 39 from 18 games and lifted the League Winners Shield. Unfortunately, Goa failed to win the ISL trophy after losing to Chennaiyin FC in the semis.
The club managed to qualify for the playoffs for the sixth time in the 2020/21 edition of the ISL after bagging 31 points and finishing fourth on the table. A draw against Hyderabad FC in their final league phase game saw them go through.
The only exception was the 2016 season when FC Goa couldn't make it to the playoffs. They had a poor run that season and finished bottom of the standings with just four wins.
ATK & ATK Mohun Bagan
Total ISL Play-off Appearances: 5 (2014, 2015, 2016, 2018-19, 2019-20 & 2020-21)
ATK have four playoff appearances, having made it to the final stage in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018-19 and 2019-20. Three out of the four times, they went on to win the title.
ATK finished third in the standings in the inaugural edition of the league before winning the trophy. The club crashed out in the semifinal stage in 2015 but bounced back to emerge victorious in the 2016 edition of the ISL.
Post that, the team failed to make it to the playoffs for two consecutive seasons (2017-18 & 2018-19). The final season before their merger with Mohun Bagan AC saw them add another title to their cabinet.
This season, ATK Mohun Bagan finished second in the points table behind Mumbai City FC. They finished on par with the Islanders in terms of points but the superior head-to-head gave Mumbai City FC the top spot.
Chennaiyin FC
Total ISL Play-off Appearances: 4 (2014, 2015, 2017-18, & 2019-20)
The Super Manchas are another team with standout performances across various seasons. Chennaiyin FC made it to the playoffs in the first two seasons of the ISL and won the title in the second edition.
They, however, had a forgettable 2016 season after finishing second-last in the points table. But Chennaiyin made a turnaround in the 2017/18 season and went on to become the ISL champions for the second time.
Chennaiyin FC had another below-par performance in the 2018/2019 season where they finished last. After a poor start to the 2019/20 season, the club managed to turn things around in spectacular fashion and make it to the playoffs.
Having failed to reach the playoffs once again this season, the Chennai-based club will look to come back stronger in the next season.
