2016–17 I-League

The 2016–17 I-League was the 10th season of the I-League, the top Indian professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 2007. The season began on 7 January 2017 and concluded on 30 April 2017.

Aizawl won their first title on the final day after securing a draw against Shillong Lajong on 30 April 2017. Defending champions Bengaluru finished in the fourth place. Dempo had entered the league after being promoted from the I-League 2nd Division but withdrew from the league along with Salgaocar and Sporting Goa. Aizawl were reinstated into the league after being relegated while Churchill Brothers, Chennai City, and Minerva Punjab were granted direct-entry into the I-League.

Teams

Ten teams are competing in the league. The majority of the teams from the previous season as well as recently promoted Dempo were originally supposed to compete this season. Dempo were promoted to the I-League on 30 May 2016, defeating Minerva Academy 3–1. Aizawl were relegated from the I-League the previous season, despite finishing above last place DSK Shivajians who were exempt from relegation. However, on 27 September 2016, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced that Aizawl would be reinstated into the I-League for the 2016–17 season.

Throughout the summer of 2016, the three Goan I-League clubs – Dempo, Salgaocar, and Sporting Goa – had been indecisive over their participation in the league. On 24 June 2016 it was first announced that Salgaocar and Sporting Goa would withdraw from the I-League following their displeasure over the proposed roadmap for Indian football for the 2017–18 season, with Dempo also threatening to do so next. However, in September 2015 it was revealed that despite withdrawing Sporting Goa and Dempo still submitted their AFC Licensing documents needed for I-League play. It was then revealed on 10 November that both Sporting Goa and Dempo were given national licenses for the I-League. Despite this though, however, on 22 November 2016 it was officially announced by Sporting Goa that they would withdraw from the I-League for good.

As well as dealing with the Goan clubs potential exit from the league, the AIFF have also worked on providing direct-entry for certain clubs into the I-League for this season. On 26 October 2016 it was revealed that both Minerva Academy and FC Bardez had submitted documents for direct-entry into the I-League. However, on 23 November, it was announced that the AIFF would be issuing new tenders for a direct-entry side in the league after none of the three sides which applied fulfilled the financial criteria.

On 8 December 2016, after Dempo confirmed their exit from the league, the AIFF reinstated Churchill Brothers into the I-League. Finally, on 11 December 2016, the AIFF granted direct-entry to both Chennai City and Minerva Punjab to bring the number of teams in the league to ten.

Stadiums and locations Note: Table lists in alphabetical order. Team Location Stadium Capacity Aizawl Aizawl, Mizoram Rajiv Gandhi Stadium 5,000 Bengaluru Bangalore, Karnataka Sree Kanteerava Stadium 24,000 Chennai City Chennai, Tamil Nadu Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 40,000 Churchill Brothers Vasco da Gama, Goa Tilak Maidan Stadium 12,000 DSK Shivajians Pune, Maharashtra Balewadi Stadium 12,000 East Bengal Kolkata, West Bengal Barasat Stadium 22,000 Minerva Punjab Ludhiana, Punjab Guru Nanak Stadium 15,000 Mohun Bagan Kolkata, West Bengal Rabindra Sarobar Stadium 22,000 Mumbai Mumbai, Maharashtra Cooperage Ground 5,000 Shillong Lajong Shillong, Meghalaya Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 30,000

Personnel and kits Team Head coach Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Khalid JamilVamosNE Consultancy Services Albert RocaPumaJSW Group V SoundararajanClassic PoloBaako Derrick PereiraStrikke SportsChurchill Group Dave RogersNiviaDSK Group Mridul BanerjeeShiv NareshKingfisher Surinder SinghT10 SportsIndian Armed Forces Sanjoy SenShiv NareshNone Oscar BruzonNivia Playwin Thangboi SingtoAdidasGionee

Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner ofdepartureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate ofappointment Bengaluru Ashley Westwood End of Contract 1 June 2016Pre-season Albert Roca 6 July 2016 DSK Shivajians Derrick Pereira Resigned 8 June 2016 Dave Rogers14 June 2016 Mumbai Khalid Jamil Resigned15 June 2016 Santosh Kashyap22 June 2016 Aizawl K. Malsawmkima Assistant coach20 December 2016 Khalid Jamil20 December 2016 Chennai City Robin Charles Raja Sacked 7 February 2017 10th V Soundararajan 9 February 2017 Churchill Brothers Alfred Fernandes Assistant coach 17 February 2017 Derrick Pereira 17 February 2017 Mumbai Santosh Kashyap Sacked 18 March 2017 Óscar Bruzón 19 March 2017 East Bengal Trevor Morgan Resigned 17 April 2017 3rd Mridul Banerjee 18 April 2017

Foreign players A team can register up to four foreign players, of which one should compulsorily be a national of an Asian Country. Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Asian Player Aizawl Kamo Stephane Bayi Alfred Jaryan Kingsley Obumneme Mahmoud Amnah Bengaluru John Johnson Marjan Jugović Juanan Cameron Watson Chennai City Charles Marcos Thank Echezona Anyichie Churchill Brothers Ansumana Kromah Anthony Wolfe Bektur Talgat Uulu DSK Shivajians Saša Kolunija Shane McFaul Juan Quero Kim Song-yong East Bengal Wedson Anselme Willis Plaza Ivan Bukenya Chris Payne Minerva Punjab Victor Amobi Loveday Enyinnaya Kareem Omolaja Sang-Min Kim Mohun Bagan Eduardo Ferreira Sony Norde Darryl Duffy Katsumi Yusa Mumbai Densill Theobald Djelaludin Sharityar Shillong Lajong Fábio Pena Aser Pierrick Dipanda Dan Ignat Yuta Kinowaki

Results

League table

Results table

Season statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals1 Aser Pierrick DipandaShillong Lajong112 Willis PlazaEast Bengal93 Wedson AnselmeEast Bengal8 Darryl DuffyMohun Bagan5 Sunil ChhetriBengaluru7 C.K. VineethBengaluru7 Kamo Stephane BayiAizawl FC6 Ansumana KromahChurchill Brothers9 Bektur Talgat UuluChurchill Brothers5 Jeje LalpekhluaMohun Bagan Robin SinghEast Bengal

Top Indian scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1C.K. VineethBengaluru7Sunil ChettriBengaluru3Jeje LalpekhluaMohun Bagan5Robin SinghEast Bengal5 Holicharan NarzaryDSK Shivajians4Balwant SinghMohun Bagan7Karan SawhneyMumbai3Udanta SinghBengaluruChesterpoul LyngdohChurchill BrothersBrandon VanlalremdikaAizawlLaldanmawia RalteAizawlSamuel LalmuanpuiaShillong LajongBrandon FernandesChurchill Brothers

Hat-tricks

Player For Against Result Date Ref C.K. Vineeth Bengaluru Mumbai 3–0 Wedson Anselme East Bengal Minerva Punjab 5–0 Bektur Talgat Uulu 4 Churchill Brothers Chennai City 6–1 4 Player scored 4 goals.

Fair play Churchill Brothers led the fair play table at the end of the season.

RankTeamTotal Points Churchill Brothers Chennai City Shillong Lajong4 Bengaluru DSK Shivajians Aizawl East Bengal Minerva Punjab Mumbai Mohun Bagan

Attendance

Average home attendances TeamEast Bengal988,53729,0672,351 9,726Bengaluru978,77112,6425,3118,752Mohun Bagan971,19923,8593,2567,911Aizawl962,48811,0004,7256,943Shillong Lajong956,20023,7003,2006,244Chennai City926,5385,4341,1232,949Minerva Punjab924,8145,1693002,757Churchill Brothers923,0443,9271,7362,560Mumbai919,3193,6248382,145DSK Shivajians910,0511,5476481,118Total90470,94129,0673005,233

Highest attendances Rank Home team Score Away team Attendance Date Stadium1 East Bengal0–0Mohun Bagan29,067Kanchenjunga Stadium2 Mohun Bagan2–1East Bengal23,859Kanchenjunga Stadium3 Shillong Lajong1–1Aizawl23,700JLN Stadium4 East Bengal1–1Aizawl12,700Barasat Stadium5 Bengaluru1–3East Bengal12,642Sree Kanteerava Stadium

Awards

Hero of the Match RoundHero of the Matches1 Kingsley Obumneme Udanta Singh Thoi Singh Kingsley Fernandes Karanjit Singh2 Mahmoud Amnah Darryl Duffy Willis Plaza Karanjit Singh Adil Khan3 Mahmoud Amnah Jeje Lalpekhlua Milan Singh Lalrindika Ralte C.K. Vineeth4 Rupert Nongrum Jerry Mawihmingthanga Marcos Thank Ivan Bukenya Jayesh Rane5 Saša Kolunija Chesterpoul Lyngdoh Aser Pierrick Dipanda Marcos Thank Wedson Anselme6 Aser Pierrick Dipanda Alfred Jaryan Rowilson Rodrigues Willis Plaza Katsumi Yusa7 Anirudh Thapa Prabir Das Vishal Kaith Wedson Anselme Holicharan Narzary8 Kingsley Obumneme Charles Shane McFaul Sunil Chhetri Rehenesh TP9 Brandon Fernandes Albino Gomes Laxmikant Kattimani Vishal Kaith Vinit Rai10 Anthony Wolfe Aser Pierrick Dipanda Densil Theobald Balwant Singh Laldanmawia Ralte11 Brandon Vanlalremdika Robin Singh Anthony Wolfe Arnab Das Sharma Vishal Kaith12 Aser Pierrick Dipanda Chesterpoul Lyngdoh Kamo Stephane Bayi Lenny Rodrigues Nanda Kumar13 Nim Dorjee Tamang Laldanmawia Ralte Naveen Kumar Daniel Lalhlimpuia Sony Norde14 Kareem Omolaja Holicharan Narzary Arindam Bhattacharya Vishal Kaith Karanjit Singh15 Michael Soosairaj Milan Singh Laxmikant Kattimani Jayesh Rane Sony Norde16 Cameron Watson Kamo Stephane Bayi Krishna Pandit Jerry Mawihmingthanga Karanjit Singh 17 Zohmingliana Ralte Bektur Talgat Uulu Sunil Chhetri Rowllin Borges Isaac Vanlalsawma 18 Mandar Rao Desai Bikash Jairu Kim Song-yong Kamo Stephane Bayi Sony Norde

Season awards Hero I-League 2016–17 awards were voted by coaches and captains of the participating teams.

AwardRecipient Hero of the League Sunil Chhetri (Bengaluru) Best Goalkeeper Debjit Majumder (Mohun Bagan) Jarnail Singh Best Defender Anas Edathodika (Mohun Bagan) Best Midfielder Alfred Jaryan (Aizawl) Best Striker Aser Pierrick Dipanda (Shillong Lajong) Emerging Player Jerry Lalrinzuala (DSK Shivajians) Syed Abdul Rahim Best Coach Khalid Jamil (Aizawl) Best Organizers DSK ShivajiansBengaluru Fairplay award Churchill Brothers Best referee Pranjal Banerjee

2016–17 I-League

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