Remember when it looked like Indian football might not happen this year? Well, buckle up because the Indian Super League is back, and it's been quite a ride getting here.
Owen Coyle summed it up perfectly. The Jamshedpur FC coach said his team is cramming six weeks of pre-season training into just three. That's the reality for most ISL clubs right now. But hey, at least football is back on the menu.
The chaos hasn't completely stopped though. Just two days before the season opener, the AIFF had to hold an emergency meeting to reject Churchill Brothers' last-minute plea to join the league. Talk about cutting it close.
Teams Scrambling With Uneven Preparations
Here's where things get interesting for anyone watching closely. Some teams are in rough shape heading into this season. Inter Kashi don't even have a permanent home stadium yet. Mohammedan Sporting are going in without a single foreign player. Odisha FC haven't played or trained properly all season.
Meanwhile, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have been training for over two months. That's a massive advantage when match sharpness matters. If you're looking at early season form, that preparation gap could be huge.
Four teams are starting with Indian head coaches, which seemed impossible just months ago. Renedy Singh gets to coach his old buddy Sunil Chhetri at Bengaluru FC. That's a proper football story right there.
Relegation Adds Real Stakes
Here's the kicker - relegation is back on the table. Antonio Lopez Habas, who's won more ISL titles than anyone, called this "a 13-match tournament" where the drop is very real.
Coyle, who's coached in England's Premier League, said relegation adds serious jeopardy. Teams can't afford slow starts when every match counts double. Mohammedan Sporting finished last season, so they're already feeling the pressure.
The season starts Saturday with a double-header. Kerala Blasters face defending champions Mohun Bagan in Kolkata, while FC Goa host Inter Kashi. Mohun Bagan look stronger on paper - they've signed Mehtab Singh and Amey Ranawade as defensive cover and replaced Greg Stewart with Robinho.
Six teams have their full complement of six foreign players. Kerala Blasters have five imports, all new to the squad. That lack of chemistry could show early on.
The winner bags ₹1.25 crore and a spot in Asian competition (unless you're Mohun Bagan, who are banned, or FC Goa, who already qualified through the Super Cup). After months of clubs suspending operations and cutting player wages, just getting here feels like a victory itself.
