Football: ISL 2023-24 season to start from Sep 21, coinciding with Asian Games

The IndiaSuper League (ISL) 2023-24 season is all set to take the centrestage as it will kick off on Thursday, September 21 with 2019 champions Bengaluru FC taking on three-time runners-up Kerala Blasters in the opening clash. The latest season will be the 10th edition of the Indian top flight football as 12 teams will compete for the top honours. The season will run until March 2024 as teams across the country try to win the prestigious title.

The start of ISL 2023-24 will coincide with the Asian Games where top Indian players are set to compete. The Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) on Thursday released the schedule, stating it had taken into consideration all the factors necessary to accommodate the calendar.

“The ISL 10 season schedule to begin on September 21st has been created and approved with extensive consultations involving all stakeholders, including the AIFF. Basis the recommendations of AIFF on the league window, the final start dates were calendarised.”

“All stakeholders have formally agreed to the schedule's dates and structure, which incorporates necessary breaks to accommodate FIFA windows and break for AFC Asian Cup.”

“Given the packed football calendar the season schedule has been designed to consider all these factors leaving no scope of postponement of the tournament at this stage.FSDL will continue to work out optimal outcomes with the AIFF,” a spokesperson from FSDL said.

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Earlier, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) chief Kalyan Chaubey requested changes in the original schedule as the players will be on national duty. The Indian football team and its star names will be representing India at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.

“I’ll be speaking to people in the FSDL to defer the league by 10 days and start it sometime in October so that we can field a full-strength team at the Asiad. The honour of representing the country on the global stage is above all. The national interest should come first and that’s what I would try to explain to clubs and FSDL,” Chaubey said to PTI.

The ISL clubs steadfastly refused to release any of their players to participate in the continental multisport tournament since it would take place outside of the FIFA international match window. The matches for the Asian Games will begin on September 19, whereas the season of the ISL starts just two days later, that is on September 21.

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