Formed: 2007
League Titles Won: None
Players to Watch: Subrata Paul, Izumi Arata, Jeje Lalpekhlua

Recent History:

2008 – 2009	2009 – 2010	2010 – 2011
N/A	3rd	5th

 

Team Preview

Pune FC needed a strong second half of the season to finish fifth in the I-League last term as they started slowly in the absence of their influential goalkeeper Subrata Paul. PFC have made some smart signings this season, and the return of the highly talented Jeje Lalpekhlua will also strengthen their squad.

They had a pretty effective pre-season, beating Churchill Brothers in a friendly and lifting the Peninsula Pune Cup Invitational friendly tournament. Derrick Pereira’s side performed well in the Fed Cup as they finished second in the group of death, with the 2-1 win over Dempo being their standout result.

Pune have the players to beat any team on their day both home and away; however they do lack strength in depth in their squad. A title challenge may be beyond PFC, but they are certainly capable of finishing in the top five for the third straight season.

Did you know?

• Pune FC are nicknamed the ‘Red Lizards’.
• They have their own online channel called PFC TV.
• In the 2009-10 season, goalkeeper Subrata Paul famously scored a penalty in a 4-1 win over Churchill Brothers.

Club Rating

Squad Strength: 6/10
Fan Support:  7/10
Financial Power: 6/10

 

Formed: 1889
League Titles Won: Three (1997-98, 1999-00, 2001-02)
Players to Watch: Syed Rahim Nabi, Sunil Chhetri, Odafa Okolie

Recent History:

2008 – 2009	2009 – 2010	2010 – 2011
2nd	5th	6th

 

Team Preview

After failing to win a trophy last season, Mohun Bagan spent heavily in the summer as they signed several big names like Odafa Okolie, Sunil Chhetri, Syed Rahim Nabi and N.P. Pradeep. However, Steve Darby had no say in the recruitment of players, with most transfers being made before his appointment. The ill effects of this were apparent in the Federation Cup, with Bagan’s lack of team balance causing them to lose their two opening games and make an early exit from the competition.

Darby’s tactics have been criticized by the Kolkata media but the Englishman certainly needs time to get used to Indian football, before getting the right results to please the demanding fans of the Kolkata club. The 2-2 draw against Churchill Brothers in their last group game proved that Bagan still have enough quality, especially upfront, to be a genuine title contender.

Did you know?

• Mohun Bagan is recognized as the national club of India with the Government of India, who even issued a postage stamp to celebrate their historic 1911 IFA Shield triumph.
• The Mariners, in 2002, became the first club to win the I-League (formerly National League) three times.
• A Bengali movie named ‘Egaro’ (The Eleven) has been made on that famous 1911 IFA Shield success of Bagan.

Club Rating

Squad Strength: 7/10
Fan Support:  9/10
Financial Power: 9/10

 

Formed: 1968
League Titles Won: Four (04-05, 06-07, 07-08, 09-10)
Players to Watch: Ranti Martins, Peter Carvalho, Anthony Pereira
Recent History:

2008 – 2009	2009 – 2010	2010 – 2011
4th	1st	3rd

 

Team Preview

2010-11 was a season of ups and downs for Dempo, as they made India proud once again by fighting hard against Qatar’s Al Sadd in the Asian Champions League qualifier, and then reaching the knockout stages of the AFC Cup. However, they lost in the Fed Cup semis and finished third in the I-League.

This season their squad has been weakened by the departures of Beto and Ogba Kalu Nnanna, and then Armando Colaco’s involvement with the Indian national team. Colaco’s absence was also felt during the recently-concluded Federation Cup, as Dempo were eliminated in the group stage. However, the Goan outfit will be confident of a strong title challenge in the I-League as Armando is expected to rejoin the team before the start of the league campaign, and Trinidad & Tobago international Densil Theobald has been signed as Beto’s replacement.

Did you know?

• Dempo take their roots from Bicholim Football Club. Bicholim were adopted by Dempo Souza in 1967, and renamed as Dempo Souza Sports Club.
• The Goan giants are the only Indian club to have reached the AFC Cup semis, in 2008.
• In 2011, the four-time record Indian champions officially tied up with Danish football side FC Midtjylland.

Club Rating

Squad Strength: 7/10
Fan Support:  5/10
Financial Power: 7/10

Formed: 1988
League Titles Won: One (2008-09)
Players to Watch: Beto, Gouramangi Moirangthem, Lenny Rodrigues

Recent History:

2008 – 2009	2009 – 2010	2010 – 2011
1st	2nd	4th

 

Team Preview

Churchill finished fourth in last season’s I-League and successfully retained the IFA Shield, but they lacked consistency, looking very good in some games and just plain awful in others. This season, they are without their long-time goal machine Odafa Okolie, but have managed to sign the highly rated Beto. In Manuel Gomes, the Goan giants have one of the most high-profile coaches in the league, and there are also a number of good Indian players in their squad.

They had a solid pre-season unlike many other clubs, but would be disappointed with their performance in the Federation Cup, as they failed to reach the semis despite winning their first group game against eventual group winners Shillong Lajong.

However the good showing of their Gabonese striker Henri Antchouet will be a big positive for coach Gomes, and Churchill certainly have the strength in depth to be serious title contenders.

Did you know?

• Churchill is the only family-owned club in the top flight of Indian football.
• They are the only Goan club to have won the IFA Shield.
• Before Churchill Brothers Sports Club was born, it was Varca Sports Club that enjoyed the patronage of Churchill Alemao.

Club Rating

Squad Strength: 7/10
Fan Support:  5/10
Financial Power: 7/10

Formed: 2010
League Titles Won: None
Players to Watch: Shilton D’Silva, Deepak Devrani,C.S. Sabeeth
Recent History:

2008 – 2009	2009 – 2010	2010 – 2011
N/A	N/A	9th

 

Team Preview

Arrows did well to finish ninth in their debut I-League campaign, but with the priority being youth development, their biggest accolade was the fact that several of their players got capped at senior level for India. This term they might have lost several talented youngsters to their parent clubs, but the developmental club have a new sponsor, new base and are immune to relegation with the AIFF keen on giving the side much needed exposure.

Several players from the India Under-19 team have been taken in this season’s squad, and the presence of the legendary Sukhwinder Singh as technical director should make the youngsters feel positive about their future. Their good showing in the Federation Cup will give the young squad confidence, as they beat the likes of HAL and Mumbai FC to finish second in their group. They can’t get relegated, but there is enough talent in this squad to finish above the bottom two in any case.

Did you know?

• The developmental side was first formed as ‘AIFF XI’, later renamed as ‘Indian Arrows’, and is now called ‘Pailan Arrows’ as they are sponsored by Pailan Group.
• Arrows’ first ever competitive game in Indian football was against JCT in last season’s Federation Cup, and they won that game 1-0.
• Jeje Lalpekhlua scored 12 I-League goals for Arrows last season and finished as the highest Indian scorer in the league.

Club Rating

Squad Strength: 5/10
Fan Support:  5/10
Financial Power: 5/10

Formed: 1952
League Titles Won: None
Players to Watch: Pawan Kumar, Henry Ezeh, Manjit Singh
Recent History:

2008 – 2009	2009 – 2010	2010 – 2011
10th	12th	11th

 

Team Preview

Air India managed to avoid relegation last season, despite losing their final game of the season 14-0 to Dempo. They eventually finished two places above the bottom two because they were placed highest in the head-to-head table among the bottom four teams that finished with 24 points. Like in the past, the priority for this low-budget club this season will be to survive in the top flight, and once again, it looks like a daunting task as they have one of the weakest squads in the league.

But coach Santosh Kashyap did get to have a proper pre-season, and his side put up a decent display in the Federation Cup as they finished with four points in three matches, with the draw against group winners Prayag being the highlight. The 3-2 win over fellow relegation contenders Chirag United Kerala will also be a morale booster for the whole Air India squad.

Did you know?

• Air India are aptly nicknamed as the ‘Pilots’ or the ‘Airmen’
• They are one of the oldest institutional sides in the country.
• Their best ever finish in the league came in the 97-98 season, when they finished sixth and Bimal Ghosh received the Best Coach award.

Club Rating

Squad Strength: 4/10
Fan Support:  1/10
Financial Power: 3/10

Formed: 2004
League Titles Won: None
Players to Watch: Sherin Sam, Saba Saleel, K. Ajayan
Recent History:

2008 – 2009	2009 – 2010	2010 – 2011
N/A	10th	10th

 

Team Preview

Newly rebranded club Chirag Kerala had a very difficult yet satisfactory 2010-11 campaign under the name of ‘Viva Kerala’, as they battled for relegation all season, but eventually avoided the drop quite easily. They finished in tenth place and three points clear of the bottom four.

Initially they were talks of them shifting base from Kerala to Kolkata, but their new sponsors, Chirag group, eventually decided to let the club remain in Kerala, as this is the only I-League team from the state.

Their preparation for the new-season has been poor to say the least, as they hardly played any proper pre-season friendlies, signed players late, and added very little experience to their squad, with three of their foreigners being totally new to Indian football. Chirag lost all three of their Federation Cup group matches, and will be one of the relegation contenders.

Did you know?

• Chirag Kerala are one of three re-branded clubs in this season’s I-League.
• They are nicknamed as ‘Neelapadda’, which means ‘Blue Army’.
• The Chirag Group own a 60% stake in the club.

Club Rating

 

Squad Strength: 3/10
Fan Support:  6/10                                                                                                                                                                                            Financial Power: 3/10

Formed: 2006
League Titles Won: None
Players to Watch: Aleksandar Sujdovic, S James Singh, Femi Adeola
Recent History:

2008 – 2009	2009 – 2010	2010 – 2011
N/A	N/A	12th

 

Team Preview

Hindustan Aeronatics Limited Sporting Club managed to miraculously avoid relegation last term, as they beat Dempo 4-2 in Goa to avoid the drop. They will need something special this season also, as two of their best performers from last season – Murali Joseph & Xavier Vijaykumar have left. Not having a proper pre-season didn’t help either.

They signed players for the new season as late as the third week of August, so it wasn’t a surprise to see them have a disastrous Fed Cup campaign, in which they lost all three group games and conceded seven goals. Coach Ramalingam Thyagraj has to bring out the best from a squad that lacks both experience and quality. HAL will be one of the favourites to go down and return to the second division.

Did you know?

• HAL is Bengaluru’s sole representative in the top flight of Indian football.
• Last season they were shocked by the sudden death of their second choice goalkeeper Arun Kumar.
• In the 2011-12 I-League campaign, HAL will play their home matches on the newly laid artificial turf of the Bangalore National Stadium.

Club Rating

Squad Strength: 3/10
Fan Support:  4/10
Financial Power: 3/10

Formed: 1999
League Titles Won: None
Players to Watch: Adil Khan, Ogba Kalu Nnanna, Bisheshwor Singh

Recent History:

2008 – 2009	2009 – 2010	2010 – 2011
3rd	13th (Relegated)	N/A

 

Team Preview

Sporting are back in the I-League after a year’s absence, following their relegation in the 09-10 season. The Flaming Oranje finished second behind division two champions Shillong Lajong to win back promotion to the top flight. Among all the 14 I-League clubs, Sporting has had one of the best preparations in pre-season, and also lifted the prestigious Goa Super Cup. They narrowly missed out on the Federation Cup semis, as they finished second in their group behind Prayag United.

Wins over Air India and Chirag Kerala in the Fed Cup will strengthen the belief of the Sporting squad. Coach Ekendra Singh’s main headache will be to keep them up for another season, but the Goan side have built a squad strong enough to finish in mid-table, with the signing of former I-League winner Ogba Kalu Nnanna being the most high-profile arrival.

Did you know?

• The club was built on the lines of Portuguese giants Sporting Clube de Portugal, and is nicknamed the ‘Flaming Oranje’.
• One of Sporting’s new foreigners this season, James Moga, hails from world’s newest country, South Sudan.
• The Goan side has the distinction of reaching two consecutive Federation Cup finals in 2006 and 2007, but they lost on both occasions.

Club Rating

Squad Strength: 4/10
Fan Support:  5/10
Financial Power: 5/10

 

Formed: 2007
League Titles Won: None
Players to Watch: Ebi Sukore, Noel Wilson, Abhishek Yadav

Recent History:

2008 – 2009	2009 – 2010	2010 – 2011
7th	11th	7th

 

Team Preview

Despite having one of the weakest squads in the league last term, Mumbai FC comfortably avoided relegation by finishing in seventh place, and much of that credit must go to their young coach Khalid Jamil. The former India international faces a similar task this time as well, because his squad looks even weaker than last season, and a few other teams have also gotten stronger.

Once again Mumbai had a pretty inactive pre-season as they signed players late, and their lack of preparation showed in the Federation Cup, where they were knocked out in the group stage. However Khalid Jamil’s side will take heart from the 2-1 win over HAL in their last group game, and will look to survive against all the odds, because they are certainly in for a long and hard season.

Did you know?

• Mumbai FC is one of two clubs from Mumbai in this season’s I-League.
• They are owned by the ‘Essar’ Group.
• Last season their midfielder Nishant Mehra was found guilty of using a banned substance, and was banned by NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency).

Club Rating

Squad Strength: 3/10
Fan Support: 3/10
Financial Power: 4/10

Formed: 1927
League Titles Won: None
Players to Watch: Yusif Yakubu, Arnab Mondal, Lalkamal Bhowmick

Recent History:

2008 – 2009	2009 – 2010	2010 – 2011
8th	8th	8th

 

Team Preview

Newly re-branded ‘Prayag United’ won their first major trophy in Indian football last season, as they lifted the Durand Cup by first beating East Bengal in the semis, and then JCT in the final. However they got knocked out in the group stage of the Federation Cup and could only manage an eighth place finish in the I-League.

This season, with a new sponsor and an AFC ‘A’ licensed coach Sanjoy Sen in charge, Prayag will be aiming to finish in the top half at least. Their pre-season preparations started late, but that didn’t affect their performance in the Federation Cup last month, as the Kolkata club reached the semis before losing to East Bengal in controversial circumstances. With some experienced additions in the summer, Prayag have enough quality in their team to beat any side on their day, but challenging for the title looks like a difficult task.

Did you know?

• The club was originally established as Eveready Association in 1927.
• In 2005, they finished runners-up in the IFA Shield, losing the final to Bayern Munich Reserves.
• Prayag also have a mascot named ‘Pro’, a human-cum-horse.

Club Rating

Squad Strength: 6/10
Fan Support: 4/10
Financial Power: 5/10

Formed: 1983
League Titles Won: None
Players to Watch: Boithang Haokip, M. Subhas Singh, Johny Menyongar

Recent History:

2008 – 2009	2009 – 2010	2010 – 2011
N/A	14th (Relegated)	N/A

 

Team Preview

After their heartbreaking relegation in their debut season, Shillong Lajong are back in the Indian top flight. The north-eastern club finished first in the second division last season to win back promotion. Lajong didn’t have a high profile pre-season this time around, but still managed to perform above expectations in the Federation Cup last month.

They reached the semis, where they were a little unfortunate to lose to eventual champions Salgaocar. The 3-1 win over Mohun Bagan was the highlight of their Fed Cup campaign, but coach Pradhyum Reddy will be well aware that their priority will be to stay up in the league. However, going by the performances of their talented young squad in the Fed Cup, don’t be surprised if Lajong avoid the drop quite easily and finish in mid-table.

Did you know?

• In the local Khasi language, Lajong means “our own”.
• Lajong defied all odds in the 2009-10 Federation Cup, as they finished runners-up, beating Goan giants Dempo and Churchill Brothers on their way to the final.
• In 2010, their Under-15 side represented India at the prestigious Nike Manchester United Premier Cup.

Club Rating

Squad Strength: 4/10
Fan Support: 9/10
Financial Power: 4/10

Formed: 1920
League Titles Won: Three (2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04)
Players to Watch: Mehtab Hussain, Uga Okpara, Alan Gow

Recent History:

2008 – 2009	2009 – 2010	2010 – 2011
6th	9th	2nd

 

Team Preview

The 2010-11 campaign was a near-perfect season for the Kolkata giants, as they won three major trophies including the Federation Cup. However the Red and Gold Brigade failed to land the trophy they cherished the most, as they finished runners-up in the I-League despite making a fantastic start.

Trevor Morgan’s side has had a very fruitful pre-season, playing eleven matches, but they failed to successfully defend the Federation Cup as Salgaocar beat them 3-1 in the final. The strength in depth in the East Bengal squad was evident during the Fed Cup campaign, but coach Morgan will be worried that his team were far from their best, and are over-dependent on midfield engine Mehtab Hussain.

However, the three-time Indian champions will certainly be a serious title contender for the 2010-11 season, as they have one of the most complete squads in the country, and Morgan now has one full season’s experience in Indian football.

Did you know?

• The English FA assigned them as “The Best Club Of India” back in 1951, after a hat-trick of IFA Shield titles betwee 1949 and 1951.
• East Bengal were also the first Indian club to participate in Asian club competitions 10 times, and have now become the first Indian team to reach the AFC Cup group stage for three consecutive seasons.
• In July 2003, East Bengal became the first Indian club to win a continental competition of repute, when they won the Asean Cup held at Jakarta, beating Thailand’s BEC Tero Sasana in the final.

Club Rating

Squad Strength: 8/10
Fan Support: 9/10
Financial Power: 9/10

Formed: 1956
League Titles Won: Two (1998-1999, 2010-11)
Players to Watch: Edeh Chidi, Rocus Lamare, Luciano Sobrosa

Recent History:

2008 – 2009	2009 – 2010	2010 – 2011
N/A	6th	1st

 

Team Preview

Last season started very poorly for Salgaocar, but ended in ecstasy. They crashed out of the group stage of both the Federation Cup and Durand Cup, and even made a slow start to their I-League campaign. But a strong second half of the season, which included wins in each of their last three matches, saw Salgaocar emerge as the surprise yet deserving Indian champions.

The Goan club have had a very eventful pre-season, which included an expert dietician interaction, session with referees, and a psychologist. All that preparation turned out to be very important, as Salgaocar deservedly won the Federation Cup. The consistency they showed during the whole tournament will certainly make the two-time Indian champions one of the favourites to win the I-League this season too.

Retaining any trophy is always a difficult task, and so Salgaocar will have to perform even better than last season, with a lot will depending on whether Indian national team bound Karim Bencherifa remains in charge or not.

Did you know?

• Salgaocar was founded when Goa was still under the rule of the Portuguese.
• In 1962, they became the first Goan club to play in the Durand Cup.
• Salgaocar Owner and Sports Club Director Shivanand Salgaocar is an avid fan of both Arsenal and Barcelona.

Club Rating

Squad Strength: 7/10
Fan Support: 5/10
Financial Power: 7/10