The I-League 2019-20 start date is confirmed, it is 30 November 2019 when the league will kick-off. It was announced through a press release by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The 2019-20 I-League will be the 13th season of the tournament, one of the 2nd division’s leagues for association football clubs in India. The official has not yet revealed the I-League 2019-20
A total of 11 teams will compete in the league. Chennai City is the defending champions, having won the previous season. TRAU F.C. joined as a promoted club from the I-League 2nd Division. Shillong Lajong F.C. were relegated from the I-League last season and will play in the second division in the 2019-20 season.
I-League 2019-20 Start Date
“I-League 2019-20 will commence on November 30, 2019 and the official broadcaster will be confirmed within a week,” the AIFF media release stated. The decision was taken at a meeting of the League Committee here on Friday.
The meeting was attended by AIFF senior vice-president Subrata Dutta, who is also the chairman of the League Committee, general secretary Kushal Das, CEO Sunando Dhar besides League committee members Souter Vaz, Anil Kumar and Chirag Tanna. AIFF technical director Isac Doru was also present.
I-League 2019-20 New Rules
A maximum of three foreign players can be replaced by a club during the entire season and a maximum of eight officials will be allowed to sit on the bench during a match.
The U-22 player quota rule will be decided after the meeting between AIFF secretariat and I-League clubs.
The committee also reviewed submissions made by the various Second Division League 2019-20 applicants. After several deliberations, the committee has approved eleven clubs who’ll undergo the Second Division League club licensing process. Those 11 clubs are:
Bhawanipore FC
Mohammedan SC
Lonestar Kashmir FC
ARA FC
NGR Football Club Jammu
Kickstart FC Karnataka
FC Bengaluru United
FC Kerala
Garhwal FC
AU Rajasthan FC
Techtro FC
Reserve teams of ATK, Jamshedpur FC, Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa, Kerala Blasters FC, Mumbai City FC, Hyderabad FC, Punjab FC alongside a developmental team of AIFF will also participate in the Hero Second Division League 2019-20.
I-League 2019-20 Teams
A total of 11 teams will compete in the I-League 2019-2020. Chennai City is the defending champions, having won the previous season. TRAU F.C. joined as a promoted club from the I-League 2nd Division. The 11 teams are:
Aizawl
Chennai City
Churchill Brothers
Quess East Bengal
Gokulam Kerala
Indian Arrows
Minerva Punjab
Mohun Bagan
NEROCA
Real Kashmir
TRAU
2019-20 I-League Schedule
The complete schedule of the tournament will be announced shortly.