Since the inception of the Indian Super League (ISL) in 2014 as an eight-team competition, India’s premier football tournament has seen as many as 14 ISL teams featuring in it.

While some are defunct today, others are still struggling to climb the table, and then there are a few who have won the championship multiple times.

The latest ISL features 11 teams, but that will soon change with I-League winners allowed to gain promotion to the top-tier league in 2022 and 2023. Furthermore, ISL will also include a relegation system from the 2024-25 season.

Before the next few seasons see more changes, here are all the ISL clubs that have featured in the premier Indian football league in the seven seasons so far.

ATK FC (formerly Atletico de Kolkata)

Formerly known as Atletico de Kolkata, ATK FC was the first ISL team to be announced as a participant in the Indian Super League. With current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly as co-owner, the Kolkata-based club is the most successful ISL team with three titles to their name in just six seasons.

ATK had reached the ISL playoffs stage in all but two editions (2017 and 2018) and their biggest success have come under the tutelage of two-time winning coach Antonio López Habas, across two separate stints.

Antonio Lopez Habas is the first head coach to win the #HeroISL twice and the only one to do it with the same club!

Legend #HeroISLFinal #LetsFootball #TrueLove pic.twitter.com/GUk46cxFn5

�?Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) March 16, 2020

After a successful stint with ATK from 2014 to 2016, Habas returned in the 2019-20 season to bring back the offensive style of play that the club was known for and the Kolkata side went on to have their best campaign.

Winning 10 of their 18 league games, ATK FC tallied 34 points to finish second in the league stages before winning the title for the third time and becoming the most successful ISL club ever.

Following the 2019-20 season, ATK FC merged with I-League side Mohun Bagan to be rechristened as ATK Mohun Bagan.

Chennaiyin FC

Two-time ISL champions Chennaiyin FC’s journey has been a rollercoaster ride so far.

The Marina Machans, who have had four managers oversee their progress in the Indian Super League so far, became the first ISL team to reach the group stages of the AFC Cup in 2019.

Chennaiyin’s greatest campaign was the 2019-20 season, where they turned around their horrible start (one win from the first six games), to finishing fourth in the league stages (seven wins in the next 12 games). Bringing in manager Owen Coyle mid-season did the trick, as his counter-attacking philosophy saw Chennaiyin FC win seven of their next 12 games to reach the ISL 2019-20 final to face ATK. 

Chennaiyin FC (CFC) are one of the few ISL teams who boast of a huge fan following today.

Bengaluru FC

After the Indian Super League received a nod from the Asian Football Confederation to expand its eight-team participation in 2017, Bengaluru FC made the transition from I-League to the ISL.

With former FC Barcelona assistant coach Albert Roca overseeing the maiden campaign, Bengaluru FC won 14 of their 21 league matches to finish as runners-up to Chennaiyin in the 2017-18 season. 

However, their promising debut ISL season saw a heart-breaking end as Chennaiyin defeated Bengaluru FC in their backyard to lift the 2017-18 ISL title. 

A historic run comes to an end

The longest #HeroISL unbeaten streak ever came to an end as @bengalurufc went a staggering 1�?�?matches without a loss! #LetsFootball #FanBannaPadega pic.twitter.com/UqmKmNyEJU

�?Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) January 30, 2019

Their impressive start was followed by a change in personnel as a new perspective was brought in by Carles Cuadrat, who orchestrated a record-breaking 2018-19 campaign.

Sunil Chhetri and Co. went on a league-record 11-match unbeaten run while winning six matches in a row. They also became the first team to win the ISL title after finishing top in the league phase.

Though a large exodus of players saw BFC’s run end in the playoff stages in the 2019-20 season, they kept a record 11 clean sheets.

FC Goa

FC Goa have arguably been the most prolific scorers in the Indian Super League and their style of play, first brought about during Brazilian legend Zico’s two-year stint as the club’s head coach, continues to be a delightful sight for the fans even today.

FC Goa’s ISL journey began on a monotonous note though, as they could score only 12 goals in their maiden season despite finishing second in the points table. They improved massively in the following campaign, by registering the most goals (29) in the league stages.

FULL TIME! @FCGoaOfficial have breezed to 7-0 victory against @MumbaiCityFC. #GOAvMUM #LetsFootball pic.twitter.com/2H2TqDSwZ5

�?Indian Super League (@IndSuperLeague) November 17, 2015

The 2015 ISL season also saw FC Goa recording the highest number of goals scored in a single ISL fixture as they beat Mumbai City FC 7�? at home. However, their impressive season was marred by a 2-3 loss in the final to Chennaiyin FC.

Though FC Goa (FCG) are yet to win an ISL title, they have featured in two semi-finals and one final match since their remarkable 2015 season. 

With Sergio Lobera starting a new era at the Fatorda Stadium in 2017, the Gaurs have gone from strength to strength. It was most evident in the 2019-20 campaign, where they scored a whopping 51 goals, which stands as a record.

Mumbai City FC

Before their high-profile partnership with the City Football Group (CFG), Mumbai City FC had created headlines with the marquee signings of Nicholas Anelka and Freddie Ljungberg. But even the presence of such stalwarts couldn’t prevent the Islanders from finishing second from bottom in the inaugural campaign.

 

Mumbai City FC (MCFC) endured a fair share of highs and lows between 2016 to 2018, from reaching their first-ever playoffs to scripting a seventh-place finish once again. The 2018 season saw Mumbai City FC reach their second ISL playoff at the back of striker Modou Sougou’s impressive performances - 12 goals which included a four-goal exhibition in a fixture against Kerala Blasters.

After a promising 2018-19 campaign, last season saw Mumbai City miss out on a playoffs berth owing to frequent injuries and their inability to stitch up a formidable defence setup. While they became the first team to beat Bengaluru FC, Jorge Costa’s men conceded 29 goals in the league stage to finish fifth. 

Kerala Blasters FC

Kerala Blasters FC, like their archrivals Chennaiyin FC and Bengaluru FC, are one of the most supported ISL teams in Asia. However, the Tuskers have also been one of the most fragile ISL teams over the years, with respect to their performances in the league stages. 

Kerala Blasters also boast an infamous record of having brought in the most number of managers - with current boss Kibu Vicuna the 10th different coach - since the team’s debut in 2014.

The Sachin Tendulkar-owned side has failed to qualify for the playoffs in four ISL editions, with their best-ever campaign being in 2016, where Kerala Blasters won six of their 14 games before losing in the final to ATK FC.

Delhi Dynamos FC

Delhi Dynamos FC’s five-year presence in the Indian Super League was a lukewarm success, with the capital team finishing within the top four only in their second and third seasons.

 

The signatures of Juventus hero Alessandro del Piero as a marquee player in 2014 and legendary Brazil defender Roberto Carlos as head coach for the 2015 -16 season was supposed to be a catalyst in Delhi Dynamos�?rise as a powerhouse in the ISL. 

However, it attracted very little footfall and inconsistent performances in DDFC’s final years of existence led to the eventual collapse of the ISL team.

FC Pune City

FC Pune City were plagued with controversies over the course of their stay in the Indian Super League, from endorsements to struggling with salary payments and an illegal transfer move.

The Stallions had brought in Juventus legend David Trezeguet on board as their marquee player for the inaugural season, but the move didn’t pay off well, as the former France striker could score just twice in nine games.

In the next four years, FC Pune City managed to secure a playoff-qualification place just once. The 2017-18 edition, where the ISL team lost out to Bengaluru in the semi-final, saw Serbian coach Ranko Popović inspire the club to nine wins and score 30 goals in the group stage.

NorthEast United FC

NorthEast United FC are the last of the original eight ISL teams that started in 2014 and are still running. The Highlanders have struggled with their ability to score and also lacked the experience of homegrown players in abundance over on their roster.

Like Kerala, NEUFC have had a string of managers sit on the hot seat with Spaniard Gerard Gus being the current gaffer to oversee operations. As far as their performances are concerned, NorthEast United have finished in the bottom two in three out of the six seasons, ending with the wooden spoon twice. 

 

Primarily a mid-table team, NEUFC have finished fifth two times, which was the closest they could come to making it the playoffs until Eelco Schattorie upped their game in the 2018-19 season. 

The Dutch tactician provided NorthEast United with their best ISL season ever as the club made the semi-finals for the first and only time in their six seasons in ISL. However, their run was ended by the eventual 2018-19 ISL champions Bengaluru FC.

Jamshedpur FC

In 2017, Jamshedpur FC became the second ISL team to feature as a new entry in the competition, besides Bengaluru FC.

The Men of Steel or Red Miners, since their debut, have showcased a balance of Indian and overseas players, and have registered successive fifth-place finishes in their first two campaigns. The 2019-20 season, however, saw the ISL team drop a few levels and finish eighth.

Regardless of their lack of success in the tournament so far, JFC have provided the perfect platform for young Indian players to step up. Over the past three seasons, talents like Michael Soosairaj, Aniket Jadhav, Farukh Choudhary and others have come up from the Jamshedpur FC academy.

Odisha FC

Odisha FC, rebranded from the now-defunct Delhi Dynamos, were one of the two new ISL teams to make their foray into the showpiece league in the 2018-19 season.

Under Josep Gombau, the Juggernauts finished their maiden Indian Super League campaign in sixth place. Interestingly, Odisha FC’s first victory in the competition, a 4-2 away win over Mumbai City FC, is their biggest win in terms of margin.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you @OdishaFC. Thank you India. Until next time. pic.twitter.com/4Zjse8Xxj0

�?Josep Gombau (@GombauJosep) March 18, 2020

Former striker Aridane Santana is the club’s leading scorer with nine goals while his Spanish compatriot Manuel Onwu has hit the only hat-trick for Odisha FC in the Indian Super League. OFC are currently managed by British coach Stuart Baxter

Hyderabad FC

The Nizams came into being after FC Pune City were disbanded and Hyderabad FC signed almost every player from the former ISL team ahead of their maiden campaign in the 2019-20 season.

Hyderabad FC’s debut season, however, began on a disastrous note as they slumped to a 5-0 defeat to ATK FC. HFC’s first victory had come against Kerala Blasters, whom they beat 2-1 at home with Marko Stankovic and Marcelinho getting their names on the scorecard. However, that didn’t stop HFC from finishing in the rock-bottom in the season with two wins and 12 losses.

ATK Mohun Bagan FC

After 13 seasons in the I-League, Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan decided to merge its operations with three-time ISL champions ATK to form a new ISL team called ATK Mohun Bagan.

The new franchise, who kept hold of Antonio López Habas as their head coach and star forwards Roy Krishna and David Williams among many players from the now-dissolved ATK, has made an ambitious start to the 2020-21 season.

Brace yourselves for our goal machine as @RoyKrishna21 dons the Maroon and Green.#ATKMohunBagan#IndianSuperLeague pic.twitter.com/MwlLcQryiw

�?ATK Mohun Bagan FC (@atkmohunbaganfc) July 19, 2020

SC East Bengal

Like Mohun Bagan, their archrivals East Bengal opted for a fresh scenery as well and climbed up to the Indian Super League for the 2020-21 edition. 

One of the most decorated clubs in Indian football, the Red and Gold Brigade appointed Premier League’s Liverpool icon Robbie Fowler as their first-ever head coach but have since scripted a sorry start to the ISL 2020-21 season.

As seasons pass in the Indian Super League, the Kolkata Derby between ATK Mohun Bagan and SC East Bengal is expected to take up a major status in the competition.

Feature image courtesy: PUNIT PARANJPE / AFP

The Indian Super League (ISL) reached new heights during the 2019-20 season, with many players performing beyond expectations for their respective sides, while others not quite reaching the same heights as expected of them.

The season saw a staggering 294 goals being scored at an average of 3.09 per match �?more than any of the past five seasons. With ATK FC coming back on top after a few seasons of declined performances, a lot of their improvements can be attributed to the addition of foreign imports under returning head coach Antonio Lopez Habas.

While many foreign players like Sergio Castel, Agustin Garcia Iniguez and Michael Onwu starred for their respective clubs, none were able to achieve the same kind of success as the five new imports mentioned below.

Roy Krishna

One of the marquee signings of the recently concluded ISL season was the addition of Fijian striker Roy Krishna, from Wellington Phoenix, in the A-League in Australia. He scored more than 50 goals for the New Zealand based side, winning the Golden Boot and the prestigious Johnny Warren medal after a stellar 2018-19 season.

Krishna scored some very important goals for the Kolkata-based club, including a brace against Odisha to draw the game and an equaliser in the second leg of the semi-finals against Bengaluru FC. He was the joint top-scorer in the league alongside Bartholomew Ogbeche and Nerijus Valskis with 15 goals but narrowly missed out on the Golden Boot award, having played more minutes than the Chennaiyin hitman.

Read | Three Indian players who dominated ISL 2019/20

His pace and dribbling and ability made him the perfect poacher, complementing Habas and his counter-attacking style this season. Krishna was also a natural leader on the field for the champions, often turning the tide in games with his precise passing and perfect finishing.

David Williams

David Williams fights off competition from Manuel Onwu, Raphael Messi Bouli and Sergio Castel to make it to this list, courtesy of his brilliant performance for ATK in the playoff stages of the tournament. Joining the club along with Roy Krishna, Williams was another star performer for Wellington Phoenix in the A-League.

Having garnered experience across Europe and in his home country, the Aussie forward was prolific for ATK as well. Much like his striker partner Roy Krishna, Williams played an important part in ATK’s run to the finals, like the solitary goal he scored in a win over Chennaiyin (which was also the 1000^th goal of the league).

His biggest contribution, however, was undoubtedly the two goals he scored in the second leg of the semifinals, including a thumping header to give his side the lead. His presence behind Krishna was the main reason the striker could make any forward runs and he finished the season with seven goals and five assists in 18 matches.

Aridane Santana

Spanish strikers have been hugely successful in the ISL, with the likes of Manuel Lanzarote and Ferran Corominas finding the back of the net on many occasions. This season was no different, with the addition of Aridane Santana for newcomers Odisha FC proving beneficial to their fight for a playoff spot.

Read | East Bengal set to join ISL, RoundGlass Punjab may follow

Santana scored nine goals and assisted two others in the fourteen matches he played and led a young Odisha side from upfront. Initially taking time to settle at the club, he soon flourished under Josep Gombau and used his physical prowess to good effect. The 32-year-old striker would also play deep into his team’s territory to defend for Odisha, keeping them in the race for the top four till late.

Just when the Bhubaneshwar-based club was gathering up momentum for the top four, Santana’s season was cut short due to an injury. They ended the season sixth in the league table, but the outcome could’ve been quite different had the Spaniard managed to stay fit.

Nerijus Valskis

Chennaiyin FC’s story in the ISL was a fairytale, having scripted a great comeback to reach the finals with Owen Coyle at the helm. Many players such as Lallianzuala Chhangte, Andre Schembri and Edwin Vanspaul were key members of the team, but the pick of the bunch was definitely Nerijus Valskis.

After quite the slow start to his time in the ISL, The Lithuanian striker was the driving attacking force in the Chennaiyin team. He was the joint-top scorer this season but beat both his other contenders to the Golden Boot by virtue of lesser playing time.

Apart from his direct goal contributions, Valskis�?hold-up play was also a key part of Chennaiyin’s game this season. His instinctive runs helped create opportunities for forward forays for Chennaiyin’s pacy wingers, helping them assist as well as score some great goals.

Rafael Crivellaro

Another member of Chennaiyin’s dream team was Rafael Crivellaro. While Valskis was their goal threat, it was Crivellaro who was in charge of creating the opportunities for Chennaiyin FC throughout the season. The Brazil-born footballer came into the two-time ISL champion team after playing in Italy, UAE, Poland and Portugal.

Crivellaro headed the onslaught of the Chennaiyin attackers after the arrival of Irish head coach Owen Coyle. His free-flowing football was key for Chennaiyin and helped the team build counterattacks towards the tail end of the campaign, as Chennaiyin scored a whopping 34 times in 14 games. Crivellaro scored seven of these goals while assisting another eight. Averaging 51 passes per game, Crivellaro also commanded a decent passing accuracy of 58.62.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Punit Paranjpe

With only a handful of games left in the Indian Super League before it reaches the playoffs, it is safe to say there is no margin for error for any side from this point on. After 14 rounds of play, FC Goa acquire the top spot in the tally and they are closely followed by the defending champions, Bengaluru FC, who are only two points away.

As ATK sit third, the likes of Odisha FC and Mumbai City FC are battling for the final place, with the former leading the latter by only a point.

Back in England, Liverpool are leading the charge all ends up, leaving the other sides to fight for a Champions League spot. Chelsea, who sit fourth, enjoy a six-point lead over the fifth-placed Manchester United and face a stern away test against Leicester City.

The biggest game of all, however, will see Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho returning to the fray, with Manchester City making a trip to London to face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Tottenham vs Manchester City

Free-flowing Manchester City have found it hard to snatch the games of late and given the fixture congestion the Premier League sides are experiencing, the Citizens taking on Tottenham remains a must-watch game in one’s bucket list.

6 - Manchester City have conceded the first goal in six of their last nine Premier League home games, as many as they had in their first 60 under Pep Guardiola. Correction. #MCICRY

�?OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 18, 2020

Tottenham, in pursuit of finishing their campaign inside top-four, have only won just one of their last five league encounters, and the last thing they would want in their tracking is to face Manchester City. The game promises goals, to say least given that the last 0-0 draw between the teams was played way back in 2010. City, on their part, have always dominated Tottenham away from home, but expect fatigue to play its bit part on Sunday.

As far as statistics are concerned, City have scored at least two goals in seven of their last eight Premier League appearances. Thus, it is safe to say they are tipped to net at least once against Tottenham.

Watch out for:

Kevin De Bruyne: Enjoying another stellar campaign under Guardiola, midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has already registered seven goals and 15 assists in the Premier League this season. His record in his last nine outings read; three goals and a whopping six assists, meaning that he is involved in at least one goal per game. With Tottenham struggling in front of goal, expect the other side to wreak havoc and count on De Bruyne to play a big role in that.

Odisha FC vs FC Goa

League leader FC Goa are scheduled to make a trip to the Kalinga Stadium to square off against Odisha FC on Wednesday. The fact that both teams need a win to assert a claim to their challenge makes this fixture a worthy watch.

Goa, after a strong start to their new campaign, have stumbled twice in their last five outings, both of which have come away from home. Odisha, on the other hand, have only lost one of their last five games and are unbeaten at home since mid-December. What makes life more difficult for Goa though is that Odisha have scored at least twice in four of their recent five outings, meaning that they are extremely likely to score on Wednesday.

The teams have already met once this season, and it were Goa who managed to run riot, emerging 3-0 victorious on the back of Ferran Corominas�?brace.

Watch out for:

Aridane Santana: The big man in form for Odisha, Aridane Santana has slowly become one of the most influential figures in the Indian Super League. The Spanish centre-forward is scoring goals at will and his recent return of five goals and one assist in last four games is surely a thing of bother for Goa. His stats suggest that he is currently one of the best strikers in the league, having managed more shots (36) or shots on target (15) than any other player in the league.

It wasn’t his day the last time these sides met, but expect a sense of vengeance this time around.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Oli Scarff

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Feature image courtesy: AFP / Oli Scarff