I-League to start from February 21
CHENNAI: Though delayed, the dates for the I-League dates for 2025-26 season has been announced on Wednesday after a meeting between the I-League clubs and the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The I-League is scheduled to kick off on February 21.
The AIFF and the clubs met to propose the structure and framework of the league as well.
Like in the Indian Super League, here too there is a proposal to form a committee to run the league. According to AIFF, a Governing Council and a Managing Committee would be formed. "The charter for the Governing Council, along with the roles and responsibilities of the Management Committee, will be presented to the EC for approval," said and AIFF statement.
The 2025-26 season will feature a two-stage format. Stage 1 will see the participating clubs compete in a single-leg home-and-away round-robin format. In Stage 2, the teams get divided into two groups. Those that finished in the top half in Stage 1 will advance to a home-and-away championship round, while the bottom half will compete in a centralised relegation round. All points from the initial stage will carry forward to preserve the competitive context of the league.
AIFF deputy secretary general Mr. M Satyanarayan said, “Several key decisions had been taken, foremost among them that the league kickoff is scheduled for 21 February. We have also received a new charter for the I-League, which proposes the formation of the Governing Council and the Managing Committee, which has been forwarded to the Executive Committee for ratification.”