The 2019/2020 season of the I-League has been confirmed to kick off on the 30th of November 2019.

Aizawl Football Club will face off with Mohun Bagan in the very first match of the I-League, which is in it’s 13th edition.

There will be a debutant in the league as Trau FC were promoted into the I-League after emerging as the Champions of the second division the season before.

Trau FC’s participation in the league means that there will be a second derby apar from the Kolkata derby, there will also be the Imphal derby when they get to tackle Neroca Fc. The other derby on the menu is the big Kolkata derby between Mohun Bagan ane East Bengal FC.

According to the General Secretary of the league, Kushal Das revealed that Eleven club sides from 8 states and one Union Territory team all competing for the honours.

While wishing all competitors the very best, he stated that the I-League had been a good platform where India’s next generation in football are discovered and scouted.

In recent seasons there have been unexpected Winners of the leagues with Chennai City FC who are defending Champions, Punjab Fc, and Aizawl Fc winning the last three editions.

President of the AIFF Praful Patel, while speaking in an interview, welcomed debutant Trau FC to the I-League while stating that the pan-Indian nature of the league in previous seasons up till now is an indicator of the success of the league in ensuring that the game touches all corners of India.

According to the league organizers, the champion at the end of the season will receive a sum of Rs 1 crore, with the second-placed team pocketing Rs 60 lakhs. Third and Fourth place teams are expected to earn Rs 40 lakhs and 25 lakhs, respectively.

Written by: Idowu Daniel Ademiju