2020-21 ISL likely to be held behind closed doors from November to March
The 2020-21 Indian Super League is likely to be played behind closed doors from November to March this year, while it could be restricted to two states owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. Goa and Kerala are the frontrunners to stage the event, while West Bengal and Northeast were also in contention.
It has been more than three months since Indian football was stalled owing to the Covid-19 outbreak and there has been no clarity on when it might resume. Even though the Indian Super League was concluded just in time, the I-League season was called-off midway through. As per the latest developments, the 2020-21 ISL will be played behind closed doors, while the matches are likely to be restricted to a couple of states with Kerala and Goa being the frontrunners.
“The league will be held behind closed doors for sure and the dates are from November to March. Kerala, Goa, West Bengal and Northeast were discussed as the likely states but Goa and Kerala can be said as the frontrunners at this point of time,” said a source close to ISL, as reported by PTI.
“The plan is to host in one or two states across multiple venues. Everything has been and will be further discussed internally and ISL will work with the state governments and the central governments. Before going ahead with finalising the states and venues, they will look into the medical aspects, logistical aspects so as to create a conducive and healthy environment for everyone involved,” added the source.
In the Northeast region, cities like Imphal, Aizawl, Shillong, Guwahati, and Gangtok were shortlisted while Kolkata was also a part of the discussion. The final decision would be taken after looking into the COVID regulations in various states and also the feasibility of conducting the ISL.