All you need to know about the I-League 2021-22 season

India’s oldest top-tier professional football league is ready to resume on December 26.

A mere two days remain till the battle for the title is renewed in the 2021-22 season of the I-League! Last season gave way to a new champion as Gokulam Kerala won their first-ever league title and a debut spot in the AFC Cup. The Malabarians rewrote history as they tipped off Churchill Brothers to the title after beating TRAU FC 4-1. The promotion of I-League’s arguably most prestigious teams, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal to the Indian Super League (ISL), saw Mohammedan SC take up the helm of the only club to represent West Bengal in the league last season.

Mohammedan made an impressive return to the league last season as they finished sixth. Aizawl FC, looked far from their 2017 title-winning side, as they could only manage to finish at the top of the Relegation Stage teams. Churchill Brothers also had a great season but lost out to Gokulam Kerala on head-to-head record and goal difference.

A new season, however, hands out a blank slate to all teams. Allow us at Khel Now, to give you a tour of everything you need to know about the I-League 2021-22 season:

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About the League

The inception of the I-League came about in November 2007 as it succeeded the National Football League(NFL). Contrary to the ISL, this league relies on a promotion and relegation system via the I-League Qualifiers, based on state leagues' results. As one of the most widely watched tournaments in the country, the competition has successfully completed 14 seasons to date. This long journey has seen Dempo win the title a record three times. Churchill Brothers, Bengaluru, and Mohun Bagan are tied as two-time winners while  Salgaocar, Aizawl, Minerva Punjab, Chennai City, and Gokulam Kerala have won it once.

The alarming situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has forced officials to host the competition behind closed doors since last season. The teams have also been confined to a bio-bubble to eliminate the risk of contamination as play resumes for the 2021-22 I-League season.

Venues

The matches of the Indian Super League 2021-22 season will be played in a bio-bubble in West Bengal, replicating the previous season. The 13 teams will play their respective matches in three stadiums, namely, Mohun Bagan Ground in Kolkata, Kalyani Municipal Stadium in Kalyani, and Naihati Bankimanjali Stadium in Naihati. 

I-League 2021-22 December Fixtures

1. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs Indian Arrows. 26-12-2021, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan
2. Gokulam Kerala FC vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 26-12-2021, 04:30 PM, Kalyani
3. Rajasthan United Football Club vs Punjab Football Club. 26-12-2021, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
4. Real Kashmir FC vs Aizawl FC. 27-12-2021, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
5. NEROCA FC vs Sreenidi Deccan Football Club. 27-12-2021, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
6. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Sudeva Delhi FC. 27-12-2021, 07:30 PM, Naihati    

I-League 2021-22 March Fixtures

1. Sreenidi Deccan Football Club vs Tiddim Road Athletic Union. 03-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan
2. NEROCA FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC. 03-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
3. Aizawl FC vs Mohammedan Sporting Club. 03-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani 
4. Sudeva Delhi FC vs Indian Arrows. 04-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati       
5. Real Kashmir FC vs Kenkre FC. 04-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
6. Punjab Football Club vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 04-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati  
7. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Sreenidi Deccan Football Club. 07-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan  
8. Gokulam Kerala FC vs Real Kashmir FC. 07-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
9. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs NEROCA FC. 07-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
10. Rajasthan United Football Club vs Aizawl FC. 08-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
11. Kenkre FC vs Punjab Football Club. 08-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
12. Churchill Brothers FC Goa vs Sudeva Delhi FC. 08-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati  
13. Rajasthan United Football Club vs Sudeva Delhi FC. 11-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan
14. Punjab Football Club vs Aizawl FC. 11-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
15. Real Kashmir FC vs Sreenidi Deccan Football Club. 11-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
16. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 12-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati
17. Gokulam Kerala FC vs Kenkre FC. 12-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
18. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Indian Arrows. 12-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati  
19. Sudeva Delhi FC vs Aizawl FC. 15-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan    
20. Punjab Football Club vs Sreenidi Deccan Football Club. 15-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
21. Real Kashmir FC vs NEROCA FC. 15-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
22. Rajasthan United Football Club vs Indian Arrows. 16-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
23. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 16-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
24. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs Kenkre FC. 16-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    
25. Indian Arrows vs Aizawl FC. 20-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan    
26. Sudeva Delhi FC vs Sreenidi Deccan Football Club. 20-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
27. Punjab Football Club vs NEROCA FC. 20-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
28. Rajasthan United Football Club vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa 21-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
29. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs Gokulam Kerala FC. 21-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
30. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Kenkre FC. 21-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    
31. Indian Arrows vs Sreenidi Deccan Football Club. 24-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan    
32. Sudeva Delhi FC vs NEROCA FC. 24-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
33. Churchill Brothers FC Goa vs Aizawl FC. 24-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani  
34. Rajasthan United Football Club vs Kenkre FC. 25-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati     
35. Punjab Football Club vs Real Kashmir FC. 25-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
36. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Gokulam Kerala FC. 25-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    
37. NEROCA FC vs Indian Arrows. 28-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan    
38. Aizawl FC vs Kenkre FC. 28-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
39. Sreenidi Deccan Football Club vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 28-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani  
40. Real Kashmir FC vs Sudeva Delhi FC. 29-03-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
41. Gokulam Kerala FC vs Rajasthan United Football Club. 29-03-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
42. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs Mohammedan Sporting Club. 29-03-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    

I-League 2021-22 April Fixtures

1. Sreenidi Deccan Football Club vs Kenkre FC. 01-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan  
2. Aizawl FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC. 01-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani      
3. NEROCA FC vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 01-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
4. Real Kashmir FC vs Indian Arrows. 02-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
5. Punjab Football Club vs Sudeva Delhi FC. 02-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
6. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs Rajasthan United Football Club. 02-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    
7. NEROCA FC vs Kenkre FC. 05-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan    
8. Sreenidi Deccan Football Club vs Gokulam Kerala FC. 05-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
9. Aizawl FC vs Tiddim Road Athletic Union. 05-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
10. Punjab Football Club vs Indian Arrows. 06-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
11. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Rajasthan United Football Club. 06-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
12. Real Kashmir FC vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 06-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    
13. Tiddim Road Athletic Union vs Sudeva Delhi FC. 09-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan 
14. Gokulam Kerala FC vs Indian Arrows. 09-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani   
15. NEROCA FC vs Aizawl FC. 09-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani   
16. Kenkre FC vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 10-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
17. Rajasthan United Football Club vs Real Kashmir FC. 10-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani     
18. Mohammedan Sporting Club vs Punjab Football Club. 10-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    
19. Aizawl FC vs Sreenidi Deccan Football Club. 14-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan    
20. NEROCA FC vs Rajasthan United Football Club. 14-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
21. Real Kashmir FC vs Mohammedan Sporting Club. 14-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani    
22. Indian Arrows vs Kenkre FC. 15-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati    
23. Sudeva Delhi FC vs Gokulam Kerala FC. 15-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
24. Punjab Football Club vs Tiddim Road Athletic Union. 15-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati    
25. Sreenidi Deccan Football Club vs Rajasthan United Football Club. 18-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Mohun Bagan    
26. NEROCA FC vs Mohammedan Sporting Club. 18-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani    
27. Indian Arrows vs Churchill Brothers FC Goa. 18-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Kalyani
28. Sudeva Delhi FC vs Kenkre FC. 19-04-2022, 02:00 PM, Naihati
29. Punjab Football Club vs Gokulam Kerala FC. 19-04-2022, 04:30 PM, Kalyani
30. Real Kashmir FC vs Tiddim Road Athletic Union. 19-04-2022, 07:30 PM, Naihati

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Prize Money

• I-League Champions: ₹1 Crores
• First Runners-up: ₹ 60 Lakhs
• Second Runners-up: ₹40 Lakhs
• Fourth: ₹25 Lakhs

Telecast

All I-League (2021-22) matches will be telecasted on the 1Sports channel on television. Online streaming services will be available on the official Facebook page of I-League and the FanCode app.

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