BENGALURU: Brazil have come and gone. Uruguay have played. Panama have had an outing. Over the last two weeks, the Indian men's football team played against three sides who were at the World Cup a few months ago.
But at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Saturday evening, another season of the Indian Super League (ISL) will commence. That in itself may feel like an achievement. Following all the doubts and uncertainties, the latest edition — 13th for those who want to keep count — is a fairly important one for a whole host of reasons.
The last ISL season began so late that clubs weren't even sure if it would even begin. Like Bengaluru FC coach, Pep Munoz mentioned at the pre-match press conference on Thursday evening, it had the air of a 'tournament'. This was, with the return of the classic home-and-away format, more like a 'league'. The league has a title sponsor, the commercial aspects are with the clubs themselves, while the All India Football Federation (AIFF) only has administrative control.
With a new season beginning soon, there is the obvious temptation to look at the teams, new signings, the clubs who will vie for the top honour and the players who may grab eyeballs. But, first and foremost, the bigger challenge is seeing an incident-free season. Everything is working as it's supposed to, YouTube (digital rights) giving the league and the clubs enough traction and pull and the league taking some baby steps towards generating more goodwill.
In essence, that will be the challenge of the ISL this year, as the clubs will have an operational role. Munoz, when asked to comment about some of the issues that have plagued the league, was philosophical. But, from a BFC perspective, what would success look like? "This is a results business," the Spaniard said two days before the league opener against SC Delhi on Saturday. "Last season was a small tournament. This season is how it should be.
"The only thing that affected our pre-season was that we didn't know exactly when the league would start. So we arrived at camp early and we had enough time to prepare."
The 13-team league — one of the sides, Diamond Harbour, have been barred from taking part this season and will be automatically relegated — will run for half the year and will cover the length and breadth of the country. After last season, it's a welcome development.
For Indian football to develop and get on a growth trajectory, this season feels pivotal. Time, as always, will tell.
The 13 clubs: Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin, Churchill Brothers, Delhi, East Bengal, Goa, Inter Kashi, Kerala Blasters, Mohun Bagan SG, Mumbai City, NorthEast United, Odisha, Punjab (Diamond Harbour barred and relegated)
Format
Home and away
Top six clubs post league stage qualify for playoffs
Saturday's matches
Bengaluru vs SC Delhi @ Sree Kanteerava Stadium, Bengaluru @ 5 PM
Goa vs Chennaiyin @ JN Stadium (Margao) @ 7:30 PM
Live on Sony Sports Network/Youtube