Indian Super League is back: From search for next Chhetri to title contenders, key narratives ahead of ISL 11

With the 11th season of the Indian Super League (ISL) starting on Friday, one question is bound to be on everyone’s mind — who will be the next Sunil Chhetri? With India’s talismanic record-scorer retiring from national team duties, the search for India’s next footballing hero has gone into overdrive.

That’s the theme for even ISL’s pre-season advertisement which features star Indian cricketers, Bollywood heartthrobs, Indian Olympic superstars, and most importantly, footballing legends Baichung Bhutia, Manoranjan Bhattacharya, and even Chhetri himself. While that’s quite a pertinent question and will remain the underlying theme of Indian football for a while, this season promises tremendous excitement elsewhere too.

Here’s a look at some key narratives to follow:

Marquez, doubling up

It’s something unheard of in Indian football. This season will be the first time an ISL team coach is also in charge of the national team.

After Croatian Igor Stimac’s ouster, current FC Goa coach Manolo Marquez got the nod ahead of several big names. Ultimately, it was his experience in Indian football that got him the job. He led Hyderabad FC to two playoff appearances and an ISL Cup during three seasons with the club before joining FC Goa.

Back in action 🍿🤩 pic.twitter.com/5cYjUxCBqT

— FC Goa (@FCGoaOfficial) September 11, 2024

Marquez will now divide his time between his club and the national team, before taking on a full-time national role in 2025-26.

A thorough professional, he’s bound to have his hands full, especially given the national team’s shambolic performances in his first two games in charge – a goalless draw with Mauritius and a 0-3 loss to Syria.

Hunt for attackers

When ISL asks “Agla Hero Kaun?” (Who’s the next hero), what they really want to ask is, who will be the next goalscorer for Indian football. The lack of a proven goalscorer beyond Chhetri has been the Indian football team’s Achilles heel for a while now and while the squad does have several attacking midfielders and wingers, they need unearth a clinical forward. Of course, there are the likes of Manvir Singh, Vikram Pratap Singh, Lallianzuala Chhangte, and Sivasakthi Narayanan but they must start delivering more frequently.

Aakhir bina dekhe pata kaise chalega, #AglaHeroKaun? 😏

Watch #ISL 2024-25, September 13 onwards, LIVE only on @JioCinema, #Sports18-3, and #AsianetPlus! 📺#LetsFootball #ISLIsBack | @Sports18 @chetrisunil11 @bhaichung15 pic.twitter.com/2NBgHzRj8Q

— Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) September 9, 2024

ISL is mostly dominated by foreign strikers but they too need feeding. That’s where the impressive Indian midfielders come into play, be it Apuia, Sahal Abdul Samad, Brandon Fernandes, Anirudh Thapa, or Deepak Tangri – to name a few. They’ve been the livewire in the league, even getting on the scoresheet on multiple occasions, but like the forwards, a lot more consistency is needed here too.

Kolkata’s Big 3

This season will be the first time Kolkata’s Big 3- Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, and Mohammedan Sporting will be part of the ISL. Mohammedan will join the other two, who have been in ISL since 2020-21, by virtue of winning the I-League last season. It will also be the first time since 2013-14 that all three will be in India’s top-tier league.

Let’s make every minute count! 🔥🔝#JaanJaanMohammedan 💪🏼#BlackAndWhiteArmy 🤍🖤 #IndianFootball ⚽ #ISL2024 pic.twitter.com/r2PKzVIJHF

— Mohammedan SC (@MohammedanSC) September 12, 2024

“It is a big thing for the city and good for football in India,” said East Bengal coach Carles Cuadrat. However, with their overhauled roster – they have more than 70% new players– Mohammedan their task cut out.

New rules

After 10 years of the ISL, one would imagine that it would be an open league, with promotion and relegation, but the AIFF has said it will not be imposing relegation at the end of this season, deviating from the 2019 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) proposed roadmap. They have however announced a string of interesting rule changes for the season.

The league has done away with the mandatory rule requiring an overseas AFC member player to be included in the playing XI. They have introduced a maximum of one concussion substitution in a match per team (the opposing team will receive an additional substitution opportunity). After coaches and players have been vocal about poor refereeing standards in the league, this ISL, teams can challenge wrongful dismissals for direct red cards (for obvious errors).

The Contenders

Let’s get down to some football. Mohun Bagan won the league Shield in dramatic fashion last season – a last-game win over Mumbai City FC and will be the favourites this season too. Mumbai City FC, who eventually won the ISL Cup, aren’t far behind, though they haven’t made much noise in the transfer market.

In what was one of the biggest shockers in the transfer market, Bagan splashed the cash to lure Apuia from Mumbai, while the City Football Group (CFG)-owned Mumbai City roped in Brandon Fernandes from FC Goa on a free transfer.

One more sleep 🫡#MBSG #JoyMohunBagan #আমরাসবুজমেরুন pic.twitter.com/WqQdsVAz5U

— Mohun Bagan Super Giant (@mohunbagansg) September 12, 2024

Mumbai City have spent their money on relatively younger players while Bagan have bolstered its attack with Jamie Maclaren, the A-League’s all-time top scorer, who will link up with last season’s best player, Dimitri Petratos. Bagan have a fabulous attack with the likes of Maclaren, Petratos, Jason Cummings, and Greg Stewart and it’s going to be interesting to see how teams defend such an attack.

You can’t discount Sergio Lobera in the ISL and his Odisha FC have retained most of its foreign core while adding ISL’s prolific attacking midfielder Hugo Boumous. Odisha challenged for the top spot for most of last season before fading away, but Lobera will be optimistic about adding to his team’s solitary Super Cup title.

Dark horses

NorthEast United finally won a trophy and in some style. They beat a full-strength Mohun Bagan team to win the Durand Cup last month and finally seem like a team ready to compete with the best, even managing to hold on to its young striking talent, Parthib Gogoi, who contributed nine goals. They were within a point of a playoff spot last season and Juan Pedro Benali’s side will surely believe they can go one better this time around.

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