ISL 2020-21: When ISL 2020-21 will start and other facts about the tournament

The ISL 2020-21 season will be unlike any of the previous editions that have taken place before. For the first time, the Indian Super League (ISL) will be played exclusively in one location, with all the teams playing their matches across three stadiums under strict safety and sanitation guidelines because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The ISL will start on November 21st and will carry on till March 21st. The venues where the matches will be played are the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, the Tilak Maidan in Vasco, and the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim.

FC Goa, Bengaluru FC and ATK Mohun Bagan have been allotted the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium as their home venue, while Hyderabad FC, Jamshedpur FC and NorthEast United FC have been allotted the Tilak Maidan as their home ground.

The remaining four teams - Chennaiyin FC, Kerala Blasters, Mumbai FC and Odisha FC will use the GMC Athletic Stadium in Bambolim as their home ground.

The ISL format remains the same, with each team playing the other in a home and away format. The top four teams at the end of the round-robin stage qualify for the playoffs.

A major change in this year's ISL is that there will be strict restrictions on the movement of players, and they will be required to stay in the health and safety 'bubbles' and follow protocols.

All teams will also have separate training grounds. The list of training venues is as below:

North Goa

1. Sangolda Football Ground, Sangolda
2. Dr. Gustavo Monteiro Football Ground, Candolim
3. Peddem Sports Complex, Mapusa
4. Morjim Football Ground, Mapusa
5. Poriat Football Ground, Poriat

South Goa

1. Navelim Football Ground, Navelim
2. Nagoa Village Panchayat Football Ground, Nagoa
3. SAG Football Ground, Utorda
4. SAG Football Ground, Benaulim
5. SAG Football Ground, Betalbatim
6. Agonda Sports Complex, Agonda
7. SAG Football Ground, Cuncolim

ISL stadium facts

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda - The home of FC Goa since the start of the ISL has seen some iconic ISL matches over the years. Churchill Brothers also used the stadium as their home ground during the 2019-20 I-League season.

GMC Athletic Stadium, Bambolim - The stadium was constructed only as recently as 2014 for the Lusofonia Games that were hosted in Goa. It was also one of the training grounds during the 2017 U-17 World Cup that was hosted by India.

Tilak Maidan, Vasco - The Tilak Maidan has also seen top-flight football before, playing host to several I-League matches in the past. The Indian Arrows were the last team to use the stadium as their home ground.