The 2018–19 Indian Super League season was the fifth season of the Indian Super League, one of the top Indian professional football leagues. It was established in 2013. The regular season began on 29 September 2018 and concluded on 17 March 2019. The league took a mid-season break for around one month from 17 December 2018 to early January 2019 due to India's participation in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Chennaiyin were the defending champions, having defeated Bengaluru in the 2018 final, however they did not qualify for the playoffs having finished the last in the regular season. Bengaluru FC won their maiden title by defeating FC Goa 1–0 in the final which was held on 17 March 2019. Bengaluru FC became the first team who won the ISL trophy as well as after topped the league stage.
Teams
Stadiums and locations Team City/State Stadium Capacity ATK Kolkata, West Bengal Salt Lake Stadium Bengaluru Bengaluru, Karnataka Sree Kanteerava Stadium Chennaiyin Chennai, Tamil Nadu Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Delhi Dynamos Delhi Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Goa Margao, Goa Fatorda Stadium Jamshedpur Jamshedpur, Jharkhand JRD Tata Sports Complex Kerala Blasters Kochi, Kerala Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Mumbai City Mumbai, Maharashtra Mumbai Football Arena NorthEast United Guwahati, Assam Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium Pune City Pune, Maharashtra Balewadi Stadium
Personnel and sponsorship Team Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor ATK Steve Coppell Manuel Lanzarote Nivia CESC Limited Bengaluru Carles Cuadrat Sunil Chhetri Puma Kia Motors Chennaiyin John Gregory Maílson Alves Performax Apollo Tyres Delhi Dynamos Josep Gombau Marcos Tébar TYKA Sports Aspire Academy Goa Sergio Lobera Mandar Rao Dessai Sqad Gear Xiaomi Jamshedpur César Ferrando Tiri Nivia Tata Steel Kerala Blasters Nelo Vingada Sandesh Jhingan SIX5SIX Muthoot Pappachan Mumbai City Jorge Costa Lucian Goian Sqad Gear ACE Group NorthEast United Eelco Schattorie Bartholomew Ogbeche Performax McDowell's No. 1 Pune City Phil Brown Matt Mills SIX5SIX Suzuki Gixxer
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Pune City Ranko Popović Contract finished 31 May 2018 Pre-season Marcos Paquetá 1 June 2018 Bengaluru Albert Roca Contract finished 31 May 2018 Carles Cuadrat 14 June 2018 ATK Robbie Keane Contract finished 31 May 2018 Steve Coppell 18 June 2018 Jamshedpur Steve Coppell Contract finished 31 May 2018 César Ferrando 21 July 2018 Delhi Dynamos Miguel Ángel Portugal Mutual consent 2 May 2018 Josep Gombau 2 August 2018 Pune City Marcos Paquetá Contract terminated 29 June 2018 Miguel Ángel Portugal 9 August 2018 Mumbai City Alexandre Guimarães Mutual consent 14 August 2018 Jorge Costa 14 August 2018 NorthEast United Avram Grant Contract finished 31 May 2018 Eelco Schattorie 18 August 2018 Pune City Miguel Ángel Portugal Sacked 26 October 201810th Pradhyum Reddy (Interim) 26 October 2018Kerala Blasters David JamesSacked18 December 20188th Nelo Vingada 18 January 2019 Pune City Pradhyum Reddy (Interim) Mutual consent 24 December 20187th Phil Brown 24 December 2018
Roster changes
Foreign Players
The number of foreign players allowed in the squad will be reduced from eight to seven from 2018 to 2019 season, however the maximum number of foreign players allowed on the pitch will remain same at five.
ClubForeigner 1Foreigner 2Foreigner 3Foreigner 4Foreigner 5Foreigner 6Foreigner 7 ATK Éverton Santos Gerson Vieira Andre Bikey John Johnson Kalu Uche Edu García Manuel Lanzarote Bengaluru Álex Barrera Dimas Delgado Xisco Hernández Juanan Luisma Albert Serrán Miku Chennaiyin Chris Herd Maílson Alves Raphael Augusto Eli Sabiá Gregory Nelson Carlos Salom Andrea Orlandi Delhi Dynamos Ulises Dávila Gianni Zuiverloon Rene Mihelič Adrià Carmona Martí Crespí Francisco Dorronsoro Marcos Tébar Goa Hugo Boumous Ahmed Jahouh Zaid Krouch Mourtada Fall Edu Bedia Coro Carlos Peña Jamshedpur Tim Cahill Memo Mario Arqués Carlos Calvo Sergio Cidoncha Pablo Morgado Tiri Kerala Blasters Cyril Kali Courage Pekuson Nikola Krčmarević Nemanja Lakić-Pešić Slaviša Stojanović Matej Poplatnik Kizito Keziron Mumbai City Rafael Bastos Arnold Issoko Paulo Machado Lucian Goian Modou Sougou Marko Klisura Matías Mirabaje NorthEast United José David Leudo Janeiler Rivas Palacios Mato Grgić Panagiotis Triadis Bartholomew Ogbeche Federico Gallego Juan Cruz Mascia Pune City Marko Stanković Diego Carlos Marcelinho Iain Hume Matt Mills Jonathan Vila Martín Díaz
Regular season League table
Results
Playoffs
Bracket
Semi-finals
Final
Season statistics Scoring
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 CoroGoa162 Modou SougouMumbai City12 Bartholomew OgbecheNorthEast United4 Sunil ChhetriBengaluru95 Edu BediaGoa76 MarcelinhoPune City67 MikuBengaluru5 Manuel LanzaroteATK Lallianzuala ChhangteDelhi Dynamos Udanta SinghBengaluru Rafael BastosMumbai City Source:
Top Indian scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1Sunil ChhetriBengaluru92Lallianzuala ChhangteDelhi Dynamos5Udanta SinghBengaluru4Daniel LalhlimpuiaDelhi Dynamos4Michael SoosairajJamshedpurThoi SinghChennaiyinRobin SinghPune CityRowllin BorgesNorthEast UnitedJackichand SinghGoa10C. K. VineethKerala Blasters3Brandon FernandesGoaRahul BhekeBengaluru Source:
Hat-tricks
Result column shows goal tally of player's team first. Player For Against Result Date Ref NorthEast United Chennaiyin 3–4 (A) 4 Mumbai City Kerala Blasters 6–1 (H) Mumbai City ATK 3–1 (A)
Notes 4 – Player scored four goals(H) – Home team(A) – Away team
Assists RankPlayerClubAssists1 Arnold IssokoMumbai City82 CoroGoa73 Carlos CalvoJamshedpur64 Dimas DelgadoBengaluru5 Hugo BoumousGoa Federico GallegoNorthEast United Edu BediaGoa Xisco HernándezBengaluru8 MikuBengaluru4 MarcelinhoPune City Brandon FernandesGoa Seiminlen DoungelKerala Balsters Paulo MachadoMumbai City Jackichand SinghGoa Source:
Clean sheets
RankPlayerClubCleansheets1Amrinder SinghMumbai City7Gurpreet Singh SandhuBengaluru3Pawan KumarNorthEast United64Naveen KumarGoa4Dheeraj Singh MoirangthemKerala BlastersMohammad NawazGoaSubrata PalJamsedpurArindam BhattacharyaATKFrancisco DorronsoroDelhi Dynamos10Rehenesh TPNorthEast United2Kamaljit SinghPune CityKaranjit SinghChennaiyin Source:
Discipline
Player
Most yellow cards: 8 Ahmed Jahouh (Goa)
Most red cards: 2 Marcelinho (Pune City)
Club
Most yellow cards: 50 Pune City
Most red cards: 3 Pune City NorthEast United Goa Bengaluru
Average home attendances
TeamJamshedpur9180,14023,05014,67820,016ATK8146,48241,2025,32118,310Kerala Blasters8136,99631,1663,29817,125Goa10163,77917,80714,48216,378Bengaluru10143,29321,6369,37914,329NorthEast United9121,12221,7866,87313,458Chennaiyin785,27014,9926,93912,181Delhi Dynamos963,86112,3423,1347,096Pune City640,5548,1935,9416,759Mumbai City1049,8077,5633,4624,981Total861,131,30441,2023,13413,155 Source:
Awards Source: Indian Super League website
Hero of the Match MatchHero of the MatchMatchHero of the MatchMatchHero of the Match Player Club Player Club Player Club Match 1 Matej Poplatnik Kerala Blasters Match 33 Gerson Vieira ATK Match 65Lallianzuala ChhangteDelhi Dynamos Match 2 Miku Bengaluru Match 34 Coro Goa Match 66 Coro Goa Match 3 Coro Goa Match 35 Ashique Kuruniyan Pune City Match 67 Marcelinho Pune City Match 4 Jerry Mawihmingthanga Jamshedpur Match 36 Sunil Chhetri Bengaluru Match 68 Manuel Lanzarote ATK Match 5 Rana Gharami Delhi Dynamos Match 37 Sandesh Jhingan Kerala Blasters Match 69 Brandon Fernandes Goa Match 6 John Johnson ATK Match 38 Subhasish Bose Mumbai City Match 70 Udanta Singh Bengaluru Match 7 Sandesh Jhingan Kerala Blasters Match 39 Pablo Morgado Jamshedpur Match 71 Panagiotis Triadis NorthEast United Match 8 Ahmed Jahouh Goa Match 40 Nishu Kumar Bengaluru Match 72MemoJamshedpur Match 9 Nishu Kumar Bengaluru Match 41 Federico Gallego NorthEast United Match 73Raphael AugustoChennaiyin Match 10 Balwant Singh ATK Match 42 Pronay Halder ATK Match 74 Edu Garcia ATK Match 11 Bartholomew Ogbeche NorthEast United Match 43 Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem Kerala Blasters Match 75Rowllin BorgesNorthEast United Match 12 Arnold Issoko Mumbai City Match 44 Rahul Bheke Bengaluru Match 76CoroGoa Match 13 C.K. Vineeth Kerala Blasters Match 45 José David Leudo NorthEast United Match 77 Matej Poplatnik Kerala Blasters Match 14 Sergio Cidoncha Jamshedpur Match 46 Manuel Lanzarote ATK Match 78 Robin Singh Pune City Match 15 Sunil Chhetri Bengaluru Match 47 Paulo Machado Mumbai City Match 79 Daniel Lalhlimpuia Delhi Dynamos Match 16 Francisco Dorronsoro Delhi Dynamos Match 48 Seiminlen Doungel Kerala Blasters Match 80Ahmed JahouhGoa Match 17 Edu Bedia Goa Match 49 Chencho Gyeltshen Bengaluru Match 81 Rowllin Borges NorthEast United Match 18 Farukh Choudhary Jamshedpur Match 50 Modou Sougou Mumbai City Match 82 Miku Bengaluru Match 19 Manuel Lanzarote ATK Match 51 Jonathan Vila Pune City Match 83 Modou Sougou Mumbai City Match 20 Arnold Issoko Mumbai City Match 52 José David Leudo NorthEast United Match 84 Anirudh Thapa Chennaiyin Match 21 Ahmed Jahouh Goa Match 53 Arnold IssokoMumbai City Match 85 Vinit Rai Delhi Dynamos Match 22 Seiminlen Doungel Kerala Blasters Match 54 Marcelinho Pune City Match 86 Michael Soosairaj Jamshedpur Match 23 Federico Gallego NorthEast United Match 55 Tiri Jamshedpur Match 87 CoroGoa Match 24 Erik Paartalu Bengaluru Match 56 Erik PaartaluBengaluru Match 88 Lalthathanga Khawlhring NorthEast United Match 25 Michael Soosairaj Jamshedpur Match 57 CoroGoa Match 89 Iain Hume Pune City Match 26 Adil Khan Pune City Match 58 Nanda Kumar Delhi Dynamos Match 90 Edu Garcia ATK Match 27 Paulo Machado Mumbai City Match 59Modou SougouMumbai City Match 91 (SF)José David LeudoNorthEast United Match 28 Tiri Jamshedpur Match 60 Edu Garcia ATK Match 92 (SF)Mourtada FallGoa Match 29Dimas Bengaluru Match 61 Bartholomew Ogbeche NorthEast United Match 93 (SF) Miku Bengaluru Match 30Maílson Alves Chennaiyin Match 62Paulo MachadoMumbai City Match 94 (SF)Mourtada FallGoa Match 31Ahmed Jahouh Goa Match 63Subrata PaulJamshedpur Match 95 (F)Rahul BhekeBengaluru Match 32Arnold Issoko Mumbai City Match 64Gurpreet Singh SandhuBengaluru
ISL Emerging Player of the Match