The eighth season of the Indian Super League will begin on November 19. While the ISL 2021-22 schedule has not yet been released, the first match will be played between last season’s runners-up ATK Mohun Bagan and Kerala Blasters. The game will take place at Fatorda’s Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
The Key Reason for the Issue
As per the sources, the ISL 2021-22 season will begin with a match between ATK Mohun Bagan and Kerala Blasters, as it did last season. The FSDL is expected to release the league’s full schedule early next week.
We’ve also learned that FSDL (Football Sports Development Limited) originally planned to announce the fixtures in the last week of August – nearly three months in advance. However, due to the uncertainty surrounding SC East Bengal’s participation, they were forced to postpone this.
The sources also stated the Shree Cement – East Bengal situation lasted longer than expected. Due to the prolonged uncertainty surrounding their participation and the delayed resolution of their issues, FSDL delayed the announcement of the ISL 2021-22 schedule.
Fans can expect an announcement soon now that SC East Bengal has confirmed their participation in the season.
About the Upcoming Season
Last season, the Indian Super League (ISL) became India’s first successful sports league. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league was held in a bio-bubble. ISL 2020-21 was a five-month league that began on November 20, 2020, and ended on March 13, 2021. The league was held across three venues in the state of Goa, in accordance with all COVID-19-related SOP.
And now, FSDL has returned to Goa to host the upcoming 2021-22 season of the ISL. The league will be held in a bio-bubble, as was the case last season, to avoid any problems caused by COVID-19.
Table-toppers at the end of the league stage will progress to the AFC Champions League (ACL) Group Stage in 2023. Last season’s champions, Mumbai City, will compete in the ACL 2022 Group Stage after finishing as table-toppers at the end of the league stage.
