The 2009–10 I-League season began on 1 October 2009 with Mahindra United hosting defending champions Churchill Brothers in Mumbai.Indian Football The season marked the addition of four new teams, with Lajong, Pune, Salgaocar and Viva Kerala were confirmed to participate in the I-League. With the inception of these four clubs, many club transfers have been undergone within India, and around the world. The length of the regular season will be longer than in previous years, with 26 rounds rather than 22.
Rule changes India became the latest member association to adopt AFC's 3+1 rule which will allow clubs to recruit one player of Asian origin in addition to their regular quota of three foreigners.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) executive committee decided to embrace the new AFC rule which encourages the mobility of talented Asian players and provides a fillip to the regional game.
AFC Campaign Two of the I-League teams were playing in the 2010 AFC Cup. This had caused some delays in scheduling. East Bengal lost all its round robin matches and was out of the tournament, but Churchill Brothers were at Knockout stage.
Stadia and locations
Club Location Stadium Churchill Brothers Goa Fatorda Stadium Dempo Goa Fatorda Stadium Sporting Goa Goa Fatorda Stadium Salgaocar Goa Fatorda Stadium Mohun Bagan Kolkata Yuva Bharati Krirangan East Bengal Kolkata Yuva Bharati Krirangan Prayag United Kolkata Yuva Bharati Krirangan Mahindra United Mumbai Cooperage Ground Mumbai Mumbai Cooperage Ground Air India Mumbai Cooperage Ground Pune Pune Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex JCT Phagwara Guru Gobind Singh Stadium Shillong Lajong Shillong Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Viva Kerala Kozhikode Municipal Corporation Stadium, Kozhikode
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Incoming manager Date of appointment Position in table Mahindra United Derrick Pereira Resigned David Booth Pre season Mumbai David Booth Resigned Khalid Jamil 20 June 2009 Pre season Shillong Lajong Herring Shangpliang Sacked Stanley Rozario 1 June 2009 Pre season Salgaocar Peter Vales Promoted to technical director Tim Hankinson 12 July 2009 Pre season Sporting Goa Clifford Chukwuma Lacked qualifications Roy Barreto Pre season Churchill Brothers Zoran Đorđević Contract Expired Carlos Roberto Pereira da Silva 3 July 2009 Pre season Pune Stewart Hall Contract Expired East Bengal Subhash Bhowmick Resigned Philippe De Ridder 12 Sporting Goa Roy Barreto Resigned Vishwas Goankar 14 December 2009. 14 Air India Bimal Ghosh Resigned Yusuf Ansari 8 January 2010. 12 Mohun Bagan Karim Bencherifa Sacked Satyajit Chatterjee 7 Salgaocar Tim Hankinson Sacked Karim Bencherifa Mohun Bagan Satyajit Chatterjee Resignation Biswajit Bhattacharjee 1 April 2010 5
League table
Fixtures and results
Top goalscorers As of 18 May 2010 (season end)
21 goals Odafa Onyeka Okolie (Churchill Brothers)
16 goals Muritala Ali (Mahindra United) Josimar (Chirag United Kerala) Ekene Ikenwa (Salgaocar)
15 goals Ranty Martins (Dempo)
14 goals Edmar Figueira (Pune) N.D.Opara (Air India) Mohammed Rafi (Mahindra United) Jose Ramirez Barreto (Mohun Bagan)
12 goals Chidi Edeh (Mohun Bagan) Edmilson (Chirag United Kerala)
11 goals Felix Chimaokwu (Churchill Brothers)
10 goals Arata Izumi (Pune) Junior Obagbemiro (Sporting Goa)
Hat tricks Player For Against Result Date Odafa Onyeka Okolie Churchill Brothers Chirag United Kerala 4–2 2010-3-07 Muritala Ali Mahindra United Air India 4–0 2009-11-12 Muritala Ali Mahindra United Salgaocar 4–1 2009-10-18 Baljit Singh Sahni JCT Shillong Lajong 5–1 2009-10-4
See also 2009 IFA Shield 2009 Durand Cup I-League 2nd Division 2010
References