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The fifth season of the Indian Super League kicks off on 29 September 2018 and, for the second time, there will be 10 teams competing for the trophy. Last season saw new entrants Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC enter the fray that extended the season to a total of 95 matches.
ATK and Chennaiyin are the two most successful clubs in the competition with two league titles each (although Bengaluru FC have won two I-League titles). Chennaiyin are the defending champions after they won their second title last season, beating Bengaluru in the final.
Since the ISL is yet to last more than half a year, most coaches are on short-term contracts. Poor performances are not rewarded with a contract extension while some coaches simply decide to move on to other clubs.
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As a result, only three of the ten teams have retained the same coach they had for the 2017/18 season (or finished the season with). Here's a look at all 10 coaches in the ISL 2018/19 season.
#1 ATK (Kolkata): Steve Coppell
Famous teams managed: Crystal Palace and Reading
Two-time champions ATK finished ninth last season without even averaging a point a game (they finished with 16 points in 18 games). It was the lowest finish ever for the Kolkata-based franchise who did not have a clear plan for the last season.
Teddy Sheringham had been appointed manager but sacked midway. Director of football Ashley Westwood (who won three trophies at Bengaluru FC) couldn't revive their campaign either as interim coach and Robbie Keane became player-manager for the final stretch before he too departed.
This season, ATK did not want to bring in a manager who had no knowledge of the league and spoke to one who did. Coppell had taken Kerala Blasters to the final in his first season in India (where they lost in a penalty shootout to ATK) and took a completely new team in Jamshedpur FC to finish a creditable fifth with the second best defence in the league.
Having completed his contractual obligations at Jamshedpur, he thought his time in India had come to an end but that was when ATK approached him and he agreed to take on the job.
A manager who prioritises organisation at the back, his tactics could be a welcome change for a team that conceded 30 goals last season.
#2 Chennaiyin FC: John Gregory
Famous teams managed: Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers
Chennaiyin finished second in the table last season under John Gregory after a disappointing seventh-placed finish the previous season. And he took them one step further in the playoffs by beating Bengaluru in the final at the Kanteerava Stadium. It was the second time he had beaten the Blues on their home turf.
A side built on good organisation from front to back, with veteran foreign players guiding the Indian talents, Gregory had a rich mix of experience at both ends of the pitch.
Now, he's looking to become the first coach to defend the ISL title. "I want us to be the first team to retain the trophy," the English coach said.
"It's a huge target because the reason it hasn't been done before is that the champions have always been under huge pressure from their rivals in the league."
Gregory will be presented with a new challenge as Chennaiyin make their AFC Cup debut in 2019 after having won the ISL last season. They will have to get through preliminary rounds which will lead to fixture congestion.
#3 FC Goa: Sergio Lobera
Famous teams managed: Barcelona C and Las Palmas
There was a lot to write home about FC Goa last season. They were one of the most outstanding teams at the start of the season and looked all set to top the table too.
However, a winless run of five games in the second half of the season eventually saw them finish third and get eliminated in the semi-finals. It was a disappointing end to the campaign for the team that scored more goals than any other club (42 goals in 18 matches).
As for his style of play, it is in synch with Barcelona's philosophy. He was considered to be Tito Vilanova's assistant after all before he took up a coaching job at Las Palmas.
Goa were also the only side to complete more than 10,000 passes last season while they also topped the shots chart with 262 shots on goal. Can he refine this side and take them to the top of the table? And maybe all the way this season?
#4 Kerala Blasters: David James
Famous teams managed: None.
Last season, Kerala Blasters had tried to improve on two runners-up finishes by bringing in Sir Alex Ferguson's trusted assistant at Manchester United; Rene Meulensteen. But things didn't go according to plan with veterans like Dimitar Berbatov unable to exert their authority on the pitch.
Meulensteen was sacked midway through the season after just one win in seven games. That was when David James (a former player-manager at the club) took over and gave the south Indian side a glimmer of hope of qualifying for the semi-finals. Sadly, they ended up finishing sixth with too much to do at the end of the season.
James did not get much support from his senior players with Berbatov even taking potshots at the former England goalkeeper when he returned to Europe after his contract had ended. Now James has a full season to prove his worth at the club with the biggest fan base, one that plays to a packed house in Kochi.
#5 NorthEast United: Eelco Schattorie
Famous teams managed: East Bengal
Eelco Schattorie made history in the Netherlands when he obtained his UEFA Pro license at the age of 28. It made him youngest coach ever to obtain the UEFA PRO License in the Netherlands.
Schattorie was an assistant to coach Avram Grant last season at NorthEast United but he is no stranger to Indian football. He has managed Prayag United and East Bengal in the I-League before. However, this could be his toughest challenge yet.
NorthEast United have never qualified for the playoffs. They came close twice but also finished at the bottom of the table twice, probably thanking their lucky stars that there is no relegation in the ISL.
Avram Grant has since become a technical advisor at the club, leaving Schattorie in charge. It was he who did the bulk of the work last season with Grant mainly involved in finalising the squad. The club has also roped in former Dempo coach Arthur Papas as Schattorie's assistant.
It will be interesting to see how the three men work together to help NorthEast United qualify for the playoffs for the first time.
#6 Bengaluru FC: Carles Cuadrat
Famous teams managed: Assistant coach at Galatasaray and Saudi Arabia national team
After finishing at the top of the table in their debut ISL season and then finishing runners-up in the final, Bengaluru FC coach Albert Roca parted ways with the club as he returned to his family in Spain.
But the Blues weren't left high and dry with his assistant Carles Cuadrat given the reins to the club. Cuadrat had signed along with Roca back in 2016 and was also a fan favourite. He is already familiar with the Blues' style of play having helped Roca over the past two years.
While Roca dictated how they played, it was Cuadrat's set-piece plans that saw the Blues get the better of opponents time and again.
Cuadrat returned to Spain midway through last season for a knee surgery but looks set to lead the Blues now, having already managed them in pre-season and two AFC Cup knockout games against Altyn Asyr.
Bengaluru's spine is pretty much intact from last season except for the loss of defender John Johnson to ATK and Lenny Rodrigues to FC Goa.
#7 Delhi Dynamos: Josep Gombau
Famous teams managed: Kitchee, Adelaide United, Western Sydney Wanderers
Delhi Dynamos have reached the semi-finals twice after finishing in the top four in 2015 and 2016. But last season saw them finish eighth with coach Miguel Angel Portugal unable to get the entire squad to perform as well as their best performer Kalu Uche who scored 13 goals.
This season, the north Indian side have appointed a man with experience coaching Barcelona youth teams - Josep Gombau. He has been managing clubs in Hong Kong and Australia since 2009 and his last post was at A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers.
But the Spaniard was sacked when they didn't qualify for the A-League Finals Series. It wasn't entirely his fault with many factors such as a lack of a pre-season, inadequate time to get them to play the Barca way he had set out to do, and taking over from Tony Popovic who helped build the club and its squad.
He is also another coach who favours possession-based football and it will be interesting to see if he can get Delhi to use the ball more productively as they were one of the better passing sides in the league last season.
#8 Jamshedpur FC: Cesar Ferrando
Famous teams managed: Atletico Madrid and Johor Darul Ta'zim
As new entrants in the ISL last season, Steve Coppell and Jamshedpur FC found it difficult to train on a new pitch that did not bind well. It is one of the reasons why he prioritised defensive organisation last season.
But with the appointment of Cesar Ferrando, Jamshedpur FC may see a drastic change in the way they play. His first order of business was to bring on board more attacking players such as Spaniards Sergio Cidoncha and Carlos Calvo Sobrado.
One of the primary reasons he was brought on board was to champion the cause of youth development. Ferrando will also be looking to bring through youth players from the Tata Football Academy.
That may be difficult to accomplish during his current deal which lasts only a year but he is prepared to extend his contract if things go smoothly.
#9 Mumbai City: Jorge Costa
Famous teams managed: SC Braga, Cluj and AEL Limassol
A legend at Portuguese club FC Porto where he spent 12 full seasons and won 24 trophies - including the Champions League under Jose Mourinho - Jorge Costa has been a manager for 12 years now.
Mumbai City finished seventh last season - a poor season compared to their table-topping campaign in 2016. Alexandre Guimaraes and the club parted ways by mutual consent this summer and the club brought Costa on board.
However, unlike Mourinho, Costa is a manager who will go all out for all three points. His philosophy is to play attacking football and have the fans go back home happy.
Costa has signed Brazilian attacking midfielder Rafael Bastos - a player he managed at Cluj - to implement that. But his approach also ensures that foreign players won't necessarily be granted a starting berth if the local players step up.
#10 Pune City: Miguel Angel Portugal
Famous teams managed: Real Madrid B and Cordoba
A former Real Madrid player who won the domestic double in the 1979/80 season, Miguel Angel Portugal has been a manager for 22 years now.
This is not his first stint in India, having managed Delhi Dynamos in the 2017/18 season. But he could only manage an eighth-place finish with the club and manager parting ways by mutual consent this summer.
Pune City had a good run last season, reaching the semi-finals where they did give Bengaluru a scare with an away goal before Sunil Chhetri put the tie out of reach. But Ranko Popovic chose not to take charge for another year.
Portugal has been brought in to play an attacking brand of football as well. Most of the core such as Emiliano Alfaro and Marcelinho have extended their contracts while a number of other signings such as Iain Hume, Nikhil Poojari, and Robin Singh give him options.
