2019–20 I-League

I-League
Season2019–20
Dates30 November 2019 - 14 March 2020[1]
ChampionsMohun Bagan
2nd I-League title
5th Indian title
AFC CupMohun Bagan
Matches played87 (Matches after 14 March 2020 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
Goals scored187 (2.15 per match)
Top goalscorerDipanda Dicka
(12 goals)
Biggest home winNEROCA 5−0 TRAU
(8 February 2020)
Biggest away winNEROCA 1−4 East Bengal
(10 December 2019)
NEROCA 0−3 Mohun Bagan
(23 January 2020)
Churchill Brothers 0−3 Mohun Bagan
(22 February 2020)
Highest scoringMohun Bagan 6−2 NEROCA
(14 February 2020)
Longest winning runMohun Bagan (7 games)
Longest unbeaten runMohun Bagan
(14 games)
Longest winless runAizawl
TRAU
(5 games)
Longest losing runTRAU
Indian Arrows
East Bengal
NEROCA
(3 games)
Highest attendance63,756
Mohun Bagan 2–1 East Bengal
(19 January 2020)
Lowest attendance150
Indian Arrows 1–1 Real Kashmir
(26 January 2020)
Total attendance459,885
Average attendance9,017
All statistics correct as of 18 April 2020.
Season concluded with matches remaining due to the COVID-19 pandemic

The 2019–20 I-League (Officially known as Hero I-League, due to sponsorship reasons) was the 13th season of the I-League, one of the top Indian professional football leagues, since its establishment in 2007. A total of 11 teams competed in the league.

Chennai City were the defending champions, having won the previous season.[2] TRAU joined as a promoted club from the I-League 2nd Division.[3] Shillong Lajong were relegated from the I-League last season and will play in the second division in the 2019–20 season.[4] 2017-18 champion Minerva Punjab played as Punjab from this season as the club was renamed on 30 October 2019.[5]

On 18 April 2020, All India Football Federation, the organising body of the league announced Mohun Bagan as champions and decided to cancel the remaining matches due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No team was relegated, and the remaining prize money (apart from the champion's prize money) was equally divided among the 10 teams.[1]

Changes from last season

Promoted from the 2018–19 I-League 2nd Division

Relegated clubs

Relegated from the 2018–19 I-League

Teams

class=notpageimage|
Locations of the I-League clubs


Stadiums and locations

Team City/State Stadium[6] Capacity
Aizawl Aizawl, Mizoram Rajiv Gandhi Stadium 20,000
Chennai City Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 30,000
Churchill Brothers Margao, Goa Fatorda Stadium 20,000
Gokulam Kerala Calicut, Kerala Kozhikode EMS Stadium 80,000
Indian Arrows Vasco da Gama, Goa Tilak Maidan Stadium 5,000
Mumbai, Maharashtra Cooperage Ground 5,000
Mohun Bagan Kalyani, West Bengal Kalyani Stadium 20,000
Kolkata, West Bengal Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan[derby 1] 85,000
NEROCA Imphal, Manipur Khuman Lampak Main Stadium 35,000
Punjab Panchkula, Chandigarh Guru Nanak Stadium 10,000
East Bengal Kalyani, West Bengal Kalyani Stadium 20,000
Kolkata, West Bengal Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan[EB 1] 85,000
Real Kashmir Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir TRC Turf Ground 15,000
TRAU Imphal, Manipur Khuman Lampak Main Stadium 35,000
  1. ^ Kolkata Derby only
  1. ^ Four home matches against Chennai City, Churchill Brothers, NEROCA and the Kolkata Derby.

Personnel and sponsorship

Team Head coach Captain Sponsor Kit Manufacturer
Aizawl India Stanley Rozario Liberia Alfred Jaryan NECS Limited Vamos
Chennai City Singapore Akbar Nawas Spain Roberto Eslava — Uhlsport[7]
Churchill Brothers Portugal Bernardo Tavares Trinidad and Tobago Willis Plaza Churchill Nivia
Gokulam Kerala Spain Fernando Santiago Varela Trinidad and Tobago Marcus Joseph Sree Gokulam
Group 		Kaizen
Indian Arrows India Shanmugam Venkatesh India Vikram Pratap Singh Hero MotoCorp Six5Six
Mohun Bagan Spain Kibu Vicuña India Dhanachandra Singh — Shiv Naresh
NEROCA India Gift Raikhan Trinidad and Tobago Marvin Phillip Living 3D Vicky Transform
Punjab India Yan Law India Sanju Pradhan Apollo Tyres Spartan[8]
East Bengal Spain Mario Rivera Campesino India Lalrindika Ralte Quess Corp Kaizen
Real Kashmir Scotland David Robertson Nigeria Loveday Enyinnaya J&K Bank Adidas
TRAU India L.Nandakumar Singh Nigeria Oguchi Uche Aciesta Nivia
  • Note: N/A- Not Announced

Head coaching changes

Team Outgoing coach Manner of departure Position in table Incoming coach Date of appointment
Churchill Brothers Romania Petre Gigiu Contract finished Pre-season Ghana Edward Ansah 16 May 2019[9]
Mohun Bagan India Khalid Jamil Contract finished Spain Kibu Vicuña 10 May 2019 [10]
Gokulam Kerala India Gift Raikhan Contract finished Spain Fernando Andres Santiago 1 July 2019[11]
NEROCA Spain Manuel Retamero Fraile Contract finished India Gift Raikhan 1 July 2019[12]
Punjab India Sachin Badadhe End of caretaker spell India Yan Law 1 July 2019
TRAU India L.Nandakumar Singh Promoted to Technical Director Cyprus Dimitris Dimitriou 18 September 2019
Churchill Brothers Ghana Edward Ansah Demoted to Assistant Coach Portugal Bernardo Tavares 28 November 2019
TRAU Cyprus Dimitris Dimitriou Resigned Brazil Douglas Silva 29 November 2019
Brazil Douglas Silva Resigned 3rd India L Nandkumar Singh 22 December 2019
India L Nandkumar Singh Moved as Technical Director 3rd Cyprus Dimitris Dimitriou 2 January 2020[13]
East Bengal Spain Alejandro Menendez Resigned 6th Spain Mario Rivera Campesino 23 January 2020[14]
TRAU Cyprus Dimitris Dimitriou Sacked 3rd —

Transfers

Further information: List of 2019–20 I-League season roster changes

Foreign players

Maximum 6 foreign players per team. Indian Arrows cannot sign any foreign players as they are the All India Football Federation developmental team.

Team Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6
Aizawl Argentina Matías Verón Ghana Joseph Adjei Liberia Alfred Jaryan Mali Abdoulaye Kanouté Nigeria Justice Morgan Uganda Richard Kasagga
Chennai City Japan Katsumi Yusa Serbia Jan Muzangu Spain Roberto Eslava Spain Adolfo Miranda Spain Sandro Rodríguez Spain Nauzet Santana
Churchill Brothers The Gambia Dawda Ceesay Ghana Kalif Alhassan Portugal Sócrates Pedro Trinidad and Tobago Radanfah Abu Bakr Trinidad and Tobago Willis Plaza Trinidad and Tobago Robert Primus
East Bengal Costa Rica Jhonny Acosta France Kassim Aidara Spain Jaimie Santos Colado Spain Marcos Jiménez Espada Spain Juan Mera Spain Víctor Pérez
Gokulam Kerala Afghanistan Zohib Islam Amiri Rwanda Atuheire Kipson Trinidad and Tobago Andre Ettienne Trinidad and Tobago Nathaniel Garcia Trinidad and Tobago Marcus Joseph Uganda Henry Kisekka
Mohun Bagan Senegal Baba Diawara Spain Joseba Beitia Spain Fran González Spain Fran Morante Tajikistan Komron Tursunov Trinidad and Tobago Daneil Cyrus
NEROCA Ghana Philip Adjah Tetteh Hungary Attila Busai Mali Boubacar Diarra Mali Ousmane Diawara Trinidad and Tobago Marvin Phillip Trinidad and Tobago Taryk Sampson
Punjab Brazil Sérgio Barboza Brazil Valci Júnior Brazil Danilo Quipapá Cameroon Dipanda Dicka Nepal Kiran Chemjong Nigeria Kingsley Obumneme
Real Kashmir England Kallum Higginbotham Ivory Coast Bazie Armand Ivory Coast Gnohere Krizo Nigeria Loveday Enyinnaya Scotland Mason Robertson Zambia Aaron Katebe
TRAU Moldova Petru Leucă Nigeria Princewill Emeka Nigeria Joseph Olaleye Nigeria Joel Sunday Nigeria Oguchi Uche Saint Kitts and Nevis Gerard Williams

League table

Standings

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Mohun Bagan (C) 16 12 3 1 35 13 +22 39 Qualification for 2021 AFC Cup group stage
2 East Bengal 16 6 5 5 23 18 +5 23
3 Punjab 16 5 8 3 23 21 +2 23
4 Real Kashmir 15 6 4 5 16 14 +2 22
5 Gokulam Kerala 15 6 4 5 20 19 +1 22
6 TRAU 17 6 4 7 17 27 −10 22
7 Chennai City 15 5 5 5 20 21 −1 20
8 Churchill Brothers 15 6 2 7 23 21 +2 20
9 NEROCA 16 5 3 8 27 35 −8 18
10 Aizawl 15 3 7 5 17 19 −2 16
11 Indian Arrows 16 2 3 11 7 20 −13 9
Source: I-league, RSSSF
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) drawing of lots
(C) Champions


Results

Home \ Away AFC CHE CHU EAB GOK INA MIN MOH NER REK TRU
Aizawl — 1–1 2–2 3–3 0–0 a 0–2 2–0
Chennai City 1–1 — 0–2 0–1 1–0 2–3 2–2 1–0
Churchill Brothers 1–2 — 1–0 1–2 3–0 0–3 4–1 2–1 1–2
East Bengal 0–1 1–1 — 1–3 0–1 1–1 a 1–1 2–1
Gokulam Kerala 1–1 2–3 1–0 1–1 — 2–1 0–1 1–1
Indian Arrows 1–2 1–3 0–1 — 1–1 0–2 0–2
Punjab 3–1 1–1 3–1 1–0 — 1–1 3–2 1–0
Mohun Bagan 1–0 1–1 2–4 2–1 2–1 1–0 1–0 — 6–2 4–0
NEROCA 1–0 1–4 3–2 0–0 0–3 — 1–0 5–0
Real Kashmir 2–1 0–1 1–1 0–2 —
TRAU 2–1 0–0 2–4 0–0 1–3 2–1 2–2 —
Source: I-League
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Note: Matches after 14 March 2020 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

Season statistics

As of 10 March 2020

Scoring

Hat-tricks

Main article: List of I-League hat-tricks
Result column shows goal tally of player's team first.
Player For Against Goals Result Date Ref
Cameroon Dipanda Dicka Punjab NEROCA 3 3−2 29 January 2020 [16]
India Ningthoujam Pritam Singh NEROCA TRAU 3 5–0 8 February 2020 [17]
Spain Fran González Mohun Bagan NEROCA 3 6–2 14 February 2020 [18]
Source:[15]

Cleansheets

Rank Player Club Clean
sheets
1 India Sankar Roy Mohun Bagan 6
2 Trinidad and Tobago Marvin Phillip NEROCA 4
3 India Ubaid CK Gokulam Kerala 3
Nepal Kiran Chemjong Punjab
5 India Mithun Samanta TRAU 2
India Jafar Mondal Churchill Brothers
India Phurba Lachenpa Real Kashmir
India Lalbiakhlua Jongte Indian Arrows
India Zothanmawia Aizawl
India Mirshad Michu East Bengal
Spain Nauzet Santana Chennai City
12 India Debjit Majumder Mohun Bagan 1
India Lalremruata Arema Aizawl
India Sayan Roy TRAU
Source:[15]

Discipline

Player

Club

  • Most yellow cards: 24[15]
    • Punjab
  • Most red card: 3[15]
    • Gokulam Kerala

Attendance

As of 7 February 2020
Team GP Cumulative High Low Mean
Mohun Bagan 5 112,051 63,756 8,834 22,410
Gokulam Kerala 5 85,065 31,184 10,135 19,040
TRAU 4 53,042 23,682 7,564 13,260
NEROCA 4 52,808 19,782 7,444 13,202
East Bengal 7 59,471 12,722 4,573 8,496
Chennai City 4 31,302 12,307 3,863 7,825
Real Kashmir 3 26,063 11,521 6,010 8,687
Aizawl 5 26,018 7,642 2,222 5,203
Churchill Brothers 5 15,311 7,525 1,260 3,062
Punjab 6 23,674 6,421 1,131 3,945
Indian Arrows 5 3,736 1,618 150 747
Total 51 459,885 63,756 150 9,017
Legend  Lowest 

 Highest 

Source:[19][20]

Note: Matches after 14 March 2020 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

Award

Hero of the Match

Match Hero of the Match Match Hero of the Match Match Hero of the Match
Player Club Player Club Player Club
Match 1 India Lalremruata Arema Aizawl Match 38 Saint Kitts and Nevis Gerrard Williams TRAU Match 75 —
Match 2 Trinidad and Tobago Marcus Joseph Gokulam Kerala Match 39 Cameroon Dipanda Dicka Punjab Match 76
Match 3 India Lalkhawpuimawia Churchill Brothers Match 40 Senegal Baba Diawara Mohun Bagan Match 77
Match 4 Spain Adolfo Miranda Chennai City Match 41 India Rochharzela Aizawl Match 78
Match 5 Spain Juan Mera East Bengal Match 42 Spain Jaime Santos Colado East Bengal Match 79
Match 6 Trinidad and Tobago Marvin Phillip NEROCA Match 43 Scotland Mason Robertson Real Kashmir Match 80
Match 7 India Hormipam Ruivah Indian Arrows Match 44 Trinidad and Tobago Marcus Joseph Gokulam Kerala Match 81
Match 8 Brazil Danilo Quipapá Punjab Match 45 Cameroon Dipanda Dicka Punjab Match 82
Match 9 Trinidad and Tobago Willis Plaza Churchill Brothers Match 46 Senegal Baba Diawara Mohun Bagan Match 83
Match 10 India Samik Mitra Indian Arrows Match 47 Scotland Mason Robertson Real Kashmir Match 84
Match 11 Spain Jaime Santos East Bengal Match 48 India Lalbiakhlua Jongte Indian Arrows Match 85
Match 12 Nepal Kiran Chemjong Punjab Match 49 India James Kithan Churchill Brothers Match 86
Match 13 Spain Fran González Mohun Bagan Match 50 Trinidad and Tobago Nathaniel Garcia Gokulam Kerala Match 87
Match 14 India Laishram Premjit Singh TRAU Match 51 India Rochharzela Aizawl Match 88
Match 15 Cameroon Dipanda Dicka Punjab Match 52 India N. Pritam Singh NEROCA Match 89
Match 16 India Sankar Roy Mohun Bagan Match 53 India Phurba Lachenpa Real Kashmir Match 90
Match 17 India William Lalnunfela Aizawl Match 54 Senegal Baba Diawara Mohun Bagan Match 91
Match 18 India Jonathan Lalrawngbawla Aizawl Match 55 India Glan Martins Churchill Brothers Match 92
Match 19 India Khaiminthang Lhungdim NEROCA Match 56 India Lalbiakhlua Jongte Indian Arrows Match 93
Match 20 Scotland Mason Robertson Real Kashmir Match 57 Mali Abdoulaye Kanouté Aizawl Match 94
Match 21 India Danish Farooq Bhat Real Kashmir Match 58 Trinidad and Tobago Marcus Joseph Gokulam Kerala Match 95
Match 22 India Givson Singh Indian Arrows Match 59 Liberia Ansumana Kromah East Bengal Match 96
Match 23 India K.Phalguni Singh TRAU Match 60 Spain Fran González Mohun Bagan Match 97
Match 24 Trinidad and Tobago Willis Plaza Churchill Brothers Match 61 Trinidad and Tobago Willis Plaza Churchill Brothers Match 98
Match 25 Spain Fran Morante Mohun Bagan Match 62 Cameroon Dipanda Dicka Punjab Match 99
Match 26 Trinidad and Tobago Marcus Joseph Gokulam Kerala Match 63 India Sayan Roy TRAU Match 100
Match 27 India Ayush Adhikari Indian Arrows Match 64 India Lalrindika Ralte East Bengal Match 101
Match 28 India Isak Vanlalruatfela Aizawl Match 65 Portugal Sócrates Pedro Churchill Brothers Match 102
Match 29 India Wahengbam Angousana Luwang TRAU Match 66 India N. Pritam Singh NEROCA Match 103
Match 30 Trinidad and Tobago Daneil Cyrus Mohun Bagan Match 67 Spain Fran González Mohun Bagan Match 104
Match 31 India Sriram Boopathi Chennai City Match 68 India Brandon Vanlalremdika East Bengal Match 105
Match 32 Ivory Coast Gnohere Krizo Real Kashmir Match 69 Japan Katsumi Yusa Chennai City Match 106
Match 33 Nigeria Princewill Emeka TRAU Match 70 — Match 107
Match 34 Trinidad and Tobago Marvin Phillip NEROCA Match 71 Match 108
Match 35 Brazil Danilo Quipapá Punjab Match 72 Match 109
Match 36 Trinidad and Tobago Marcus Joseph Gokulam Kerala Match 73 Match 110
Match 37 Spain Joseba Beitia Mohun Bagan Match 74 Source:[19][21]

Note: Matches after 14 March 2020 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "League Committee sends its recommendations to the AIFF Executive Committee | Hero I-League". Retrieved 18 April 2020.
  2. ^ Saharoy, Shilarze (9 May 2019). "Chennai City FC crowned I-League champions after another photo finish". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  3. ^ "TRAU FC wins Second Division League, qualifies for I-League". The Sportstar. The Hindu. 19 May 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  4. ^ "I-League: Shillong Lajong relegated after losing 4-1 to Aizawl FC". The India Today. 4 March 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  5. ^ "Minerva Punjab renamed as Punjab Football Club". The Sportstar. The Hindu. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  6. ^ "2019-20 Hero I League Fixtures (Stadiums)". Hero I League. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  7. ^ "Chennai City announce strategic partnership with Uhlsports". AIFF. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Spartan sports will be the official kit sponsor of Minerva Punjab FC for the upcoming season". Minerva Punjab FC. Twitter. 10 August 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Ansah returns to Churchill Brothers". The Times of India. 11 August 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Football: All you need to know about Mohun Bagan's latest manager Kibu Vicuna". The Scroll. 12 May 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  11. ^ "Indian football: Fernando Santiago Varela appointed head coach of I-League club Gokulam Kerala". The Scroll. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  12. ^ Mukherjee, Soham (4 July 2019). "I-League: Gift Raikhan likely to join NEROCA". goal.com. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  13. ^ "Trau FC announce Cypriot 🇨🇾 Dimitris Dimitriou as their new Head Coach". I League. Twitter. 4 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  14. ^ "I-League: East Bengal appoint Rivera as head coach till end of the season". The Times of India. 23 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h "Statistics: Hero I-League". Hero I-League. Archived from the original on 3 November 2018. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  16. ^ "Dipanda Dicka hattrick powers Punjab FC's comeback win against Neroca". I League. AIFF. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  17. ^ "Pritam Singh's hat-trick gives Neroca huge Imphal Derby win". I League. AIFF. 8 February 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  18. ^ "Fran Gonzalez hattrick powers table toppers Mohun Bagan past Neroca". I League. AIFF. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  19. ^ a b "Fixtures Page | Hero I-League". Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  20. ^ "I League Statistics: Attendances". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  21. ^ "I-League News". AIFF. Retrieved 20 October 2019.

See also