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The inaugural season of the Indian Super League turned out to be a great success last year and the ISL is coming back soon with the second edition which is set to commence from 3 October. It has been a long wait for all the football fanatics all over India who are all ready to root for their respective teams once again. The PR and marketing have once again created a great buzz ahead of the new season with an interesting promo video. Last season the Indian spectators had the privilege of witnessing footballing legends step on Indian soil. This new edition of ISL is going to get even better as we will be seeing new foreign players like Roberto Carlos, Marchena, Riise and Malouda.Although the infrastructure at stadiums is still lacking and not up to international standards, the supporters nonetheless filled up the stadiums and continued to contribute to a lively atmosphere in their home matches. Teams like Atletico de Kolkata and Kerala Blasters FC benefited immensely from their vociferous home crowd support.Extensive repairs and refurbishment have been done for this exciting competition and here’s a look at all eight venues for the second edition of the Indian Super League.
#1 Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Chennai) - Chennaiyin FC
The Chennai-based ISL franchise headed by Abhishek Bachchan and coached by Italian veteran defender Marco Materazzi had played all of their league home matches at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai in the first edition of Indian Super League. Nicknamed as the Marina Arena, the stadium has been the side’s home ground with a seating capacity of 40,000.
It’s a multi-purpose stadium that hosts football and athletic competitions. Located at Sydenham's Road, the JN stadium had turned out to be a fortress for the ISL franchise but it received a lot criticism from the away teams last season as the pitch was deemed to be too hard to play on.
Chennaiyin FC came in as a late replacement for the withdrawn Bengaluru franchise in the first edition of ISL but surprised everyone by progressing to the semi-finals of the competition. Unfortunately, they lost out against Kerala Blasters after topping the table.
Despite their upsetting exit in the semi-final, the Chennai-based franchise have upgraded their star-studded squad this summer. The team’s Brazillian ace-man Elano is set to have his second spell with the franchise and he will spearhead the team’s attack with former Atletico de Kolkata striker Fikru.
#2 Indira Gandhi Stadium (Guwahati) - NorthEast United FC
NorthEast United FC represents all the eight states of India known as North East India: Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Manipur. The Indira Gandhi Stadium in Guwahati is the team’s home ground and in last season’s ISL it was claimed to be one of the loudest and most electrifying stadiums to travel to.
The Indira Gandhi Stadium can hold 35,000 spectators and it also consists of a running track encircling the playing field. It underwent major renovations before the start of the ISL season and it has been selected as one of the provisional venues for the FIFA U-17 World Cup to be held in India in 2017.
Along with the passion the north-eastern people have for this particular game, the stadium attracted more spectators thanks to the influence of club owner John Abraham. It received a huge number of attendants from the local community who sparked a lively and enthusiastic atmosphere in and around the stadium.
Despite receiving the extra support from their ‘12th man’ throughout the whole season, the team ended in the bottom of the table as they failed to fulfill the expectations set by the supporters and owner.
#3 Chhatrapati Shivaji Sports Complex (Pune) - FC Pune City
Chhatrapati Shivaji Sports Complex is a sports facility which serves as the home ground to FC Pune City with a seating capacity of 22,000. It was built for the 1994 National Games, but it has been used by the local I-League side Pune FC for their home matches. The stadium has hosted major events in the past like the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games.
The franchise is owned by Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan who was partly the major crowd puller last season. With a seating capacity of 20,000, the stadium unfortunately saw a disappointing turnout of only 7,000 to 8,000 in most of their home games last term.
The club owner and management have revamped their squad this season by bringing in quality players like Adrian Mutu, Didier Zokora, Jakichand Singh and Eugenson Lyngdoh, in high hopes that the addition of these players could pull more crowds into the stadium.
#4 Fatorda Stadium (Margao) - FC Goa
It’s no surprise that Goa is filled with passionate supporters and players as it is considered to be one of the epicentres of Indian football. Shrinivas Dempo and Dattaraj Salgaocar were both quick to snap up their local franchise and there was no way they wouldn't miss out on its share of the Indian Super League.
It’s needless to say that the presence of Varun Dhawan and Virat Kohli in the management also helped to escalate the popularity of the franchise.
Fatorda Stadium was named as the club’s fortress which is also the home to Goa’s I-League clubs like Dempo, Salgaocar and Churchill Brothers for many years. The venue has been a mainstay of Indian football, having played host to India’s qualifiers for both FIFA World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup. It is a massive stadium and it can seat close to 25,000 supporters.
In last season’s ISL campaign, the Goa-based franchise suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Atletico de Kolkata in the penalty shootout after a goalless draw. The owner and management have decided to lay their trust in Zico to lead the charge again with the help of their new signing Lucio, who will be looking to inspire the team with his international experience.
#5 Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (New Delhi) - Delhi Dynamos FC
The football crazy Delhiites have finally got their local football team to cheer for and there was a positive response from the supporters who came in a huge numbers to support the Delhi Dynamos in their home games. The stadium can hold up to a maximum of 60,000 spectators.
The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, since its renovation for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, has been a major venue of numerous international football events including 2012 Nehru Cup and 2011 SAFF Championship. German powerhouse Bayern Munich paid a visit to the country and played a friendly match against the Indian national team, a match in which Baichung Bhutia wore the Indian colors for the last time.
Delhi Dynamos have strengthened their squad following their disappointing fifth position finish in the first edition of the ISL. The signings of Brazillian legend Roberto Carlos, Florent Malouda, John Arne Riise and Robin Singh will all be relied upon to add the much needed spark to the team, as they are now considered one of the favourites to win the competition this season.
#6 Salt Lake Stadium (Kolkata) - Atletico de Kolkata
Kolkata is undoubtedly the hub of Indian football and it has India’s largest sports stadium – the Salt Lake Stadium. It is one the largest stadiums in the world with an unofficial seating capacity of more than 1,00,000 (official capacity after adding seats is 68,000) and it is the home ground of the reigning ISL champions Atletico de Kolkata.
The Salt Lake Stadium underwent major renovation, mainly in the corporate box and dressing rooms. The team is headed by Indian cricket legend Sourav Ganguly who played a pivotal role in attracting huge crowds into the stadium.
The supporters were immense in their side’s title-winning campaign as they lit up the stadium with their team’s tricolour – red, white and blue, which is identical to that of Spanish outfit and partners Atletico Madrid. The stadium was an intimidating and hostile place for the travelling teams who struggled to perform at their best.
The second edition of the ISL will be tough for the defending champions as most teams will be looking to spoil their mission to defend the title, but Ganguly and his army remains confident of retaining it. The Indian cricket legend will be hoping that his team rediscovers their stunning form from last season.
#7 DY Patil Stadium (Navi Mumbai) - Mumbai City FC
The DY Patil Stadium, located in Navi Mumbai, is a cricket venue and it has not conducted any international football matches yet. However, it has proposed to host matches of 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
With a 55,000 capacity, the stadium serves as the home ground to Mumbai City FC, which is owned by Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor along with Bimal Parekh. The stadium was inaugurated in 2008 and also played host to the 2008 IPL final.
The Mumbai outfit ended last season on a low, just one place above rock-bottom side NorthEast United FC. The club announced Nicolas Anelka as their player-manager ahead of the second edition of the ISL and the former Chelsea striker will be looking to charge the team with the help of the highly experienced Sunil Chhetri and Frederic Piquionne who are the team’s new signings this season.
#8 Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi) - Kerala Blasters FC
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi is the heart of Kerala’s sports culture. Initially constructed as a football stadium, it has played host to a number of international cricket and football matches. It is widely touted to be one of the most noisiest stadiums in the world due to its distinctive architecture.
With a capacity of 55,000, the Nehru stadium dons different roles for different sports. The stadium was the home of former I-League club Chirag United and Kerala Blasters FC. The club is owned by the great Indian batsman, Sachin Tendulkar, who is no stranger to this venue. A lot of his fans showed up for Kerala Blasters FC home games last term, to support their idol’s team in huge numbers.
Kerala Blasters FC suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat to Atletico de Kolkata in last season’s ISL final. However, Tendulkar will be expecting his team to go all the way this season and the addition of new signings could help them push for the title once again.
