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The 7th season of India's top-flight football competition will kick-off on November 20th, the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) announced on Wednesday. The 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) season will feature 11 teams and will be the longest season of the league, expanding to 110 games and 5 play-off fixtures.
ISL 2020-21 will be played behind closed doors in Goa
This year's ISL season will be played behind closed doors in Goa. 11 teams have been divided into three brackets for the allocation of home venues. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, the Tilak Maidan in Vasco and the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim will serve as host venues during the ISL.
Games will be played behind closed doors with strict regulations relating to the entry of teams and league officials. The 11 teams are now stationed in multiple hotels across Goa, while some teams including ATK Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC, Odisha FC and Kerala Blasters have begun training ahead of the season.
A few foreigners are yet to arrive in Goa for their respective teams. October 23 is the last date for the squad registration for the 2020-21 ISL season.
The 11th season of the League will feature the two Kolkata Giants for the first time. 3-time National League Champions East Bengal will play as Sporting Club East Bengal after selling the majority of their stakes to Shree Cements. 5-time National League Champions and defending I-League Champions Mohun Bagan have merged with 3-time ISL Champions ATK to form ATK Mohun Bagan.
The inclusion of East Bengal and Mohun Bagan in the league will bring the Kolkata Derby to the ISL.
The ISL will be the second major football event to take place in the country after the cancellation of all sporting events in the wake of the lockdown imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The I-League 2020-21 qualifiers were hosted successfully by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) from September-October.
