Churchill Brothers to meet Mahindra United in I-League opener

NEW DELHI - The I-league football will kick off from Oct 1 with champions Churchill Brothers playing Mahindra United in Mumbai.

This years edition will also see teams from Kerala and Shillong making their presence felt.

This year the I League will have 182 matches played in 26 rounds. The last date for submitting entry forms would be Sep 20, it was decided at the meeting of I-League clubs at the Football House here Friday.

Among other things, the meeting, chaired by All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Alberto Colaco, decided that all clubs be given a two-year time to fulfill all the criteria set by the Asian Football Confederation.

“It was also decided that in case of two teams vying for a common place, the result of their matches would be taken into consideration and not the goal difference,” AIFF said in a statement.

Also this years edition will give clubs an opportunity to register three foreigners and one Asian player apart from having a player of Indian origin in their squad.

The clubs will be entitled to register four doctors and two physios apart from the seven regulated officials who travel with the team.

Security of players and officials was also discussed and it was decided that a security committee would be formed before the start of the League and they would inspect all the venues.