The 2023–24 I-League was the 17th season of the I-League and the second season as the second tier of Indian football league system.
Mohammedan won the I-League for the first time and were promoted to the Indian Super League, while TRAU and NEROCA were relegated to I-League 2.
Changes from last season Promoted to Indian Super League RoundGlass Punjab
Promoted from I-League 2 Delhi Shillong Lajong
Relegated to I-League 2 Mumbai Kenkre Sudeva Delhi
Corporate entries The AIFF accepted five bids for direct entry to I-League. Inter Kashi Namdhari Bunkerhill Pvt Ltd (Ambala) withdrew its bid after inking a majority shareholding in Mohammedan. Nimida United Sports Development Pvt Ltd (Bengaluru United) and Concatenate Advest Advisory Pvt Ltd (Delhi) were unable to fulfill the bid conditions.
Inter Kashi, from a tier-2 city (Varanasi), will have relegation immunity for two seasons; while Namdhari, from a tier-3 city (Bhaini Ala), will be free from relegation for one season.
Rules After the clubs requested to increase the maximum number of players allowed in a squad, the Committee decided to increase the player quota from 30 to 35. Clubs will also have to sign eight U-22 players.
Format AIFF proposed to revamp the league format by dividing the 16 teams into two conferences or zones, similar to Major League Soccer, with the top 4 teams from each conference qualifying for the playoffs and the bottom four battling to avoid relegation, instead of traditional home-away format. The change was suggested to make the league cost-effective for clubs by reducing travel time. However, with only 13 teams left to participate in the league, the proposed changes were dropped in favor of the traditional home-away format.
Teams 13 teams competed in this edition of the I-League; nine from the previous season, two promoted from the 2022–23 I-League 2, and two with direct entry. Five teams are set to play their home games out of their home state or city because of various reasons.
Stadiums and locations
TeamState/UTCityStadiumCapacityAizawlMizoramAizawlRajiv Gandhi Stadium20,000Churchill BrothersGoaVascoTilak Maidan5,000DelhiDelhiNew DelhiNamdhari Stadium1,000Gokulam KeralaKeralaKozhikodeEMS Stadium50,000Inter KashiUttar PradeshVaranasiEkana Football Stadium5,000Kalyani Stadium20,000MohammedanWest BengalKolkataNaihati Stadium20,000Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan68,000NamdhariPunjabBhaini SahibNamdhari Stadium1,000NEROCAManipurImphalKalyani Stadium20,000SSA Stadium5,000Rajasthan UnitedRajasthanJaipurDeccan Arena1,500Kalyani Stadium20,000Namdhari Stadium1,000Real KashmirJammu & KashmirSrinagarTRC Turf Ground11,000Shillong LajongMeghalayaShillongSSA Stadium5,000Sreenidi DeccanTelanganaHyderabadDeccan Arena1,500TRAUManipurImphalKalyani Stadium20,000
Personnel and sponsorship
TeamHead coachCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsorAizawl Malsawmzuala Sailo Lalmuanawma VamosNECS LimitedChurchill Brothers Francesc Bonet Martín Cháves Trak-OnlyChurchill BrothersDelhi Yan Law Balwant Singh NiviaColordesign IndiaGokulam Kerala Shareef Khan Álex Sánchez Do'sCSB BankInter Kashi Carlos Santamarina Arindam Bhattacharya SIX5SIXCelloMohammedan Andrey Chernyshov Samad Ali Mallick SIX5SIXOpinion EdgeNamdhari Harpreet Singh Akashdeep Singh SPS HospitalsNamdharisNEROCA Gyan Moyon Sushil Meitei KingWolf 777 NewsRajasthan United Pushpender Kundu Hardik Bhatt AIO SportsAU Small Finance BankReal Kashmir Ishfaq Ahmed Muhammad Hammad Vector XFootball for PeaceShillong Lajong Bobby Nongbet Kynsailang Khongsit KingMeghalaya TourismSreenidi Deccan Carlos Vaz Pinto David Castañeda VallionSreenidhi Sports AcademyTRAU L. Nandakumar Singh Gerard Williams SIX5SIXTLT Sports Academy
Managerial changes
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Round Table Incoming manager Date of appointment Gokulam Kerala Francesc BonetEnd of contract31 May 2023Pre-season Domingo Oramas6 June 2023Delhi Surinder Singh31 May 2023 Yan Law25 June 2023Inter KashiInaugural manager Carlos Santamarina29 June 2023Churchill Brothers Mateus CostaEnd of contract31 May 2023 Edgardo Malvestiti29 July 2023Mohammedan Mehrajuddin WadooSacked22 August 2023 Andrey Chernyshov29 August 2023Aizawl Caetano PinhoEnd of interim period31 May 2023 Erol Akbay2 September 2023NEROCA Khogen SinghEnd of contract1 October 2023 Jacob Joseph8 October 2023Namdhari Marko DjerkovicTBC Francesc Bonet6 October 2023Real Kashmir Gifton Noel-Williams31 May 2023 Ishfaq Ahmed27 October 2023Aizawl Erol AkbayMutual Agreement4 November 2023210 Malsawmzuala Sailo4 November 2023Namdhari Francesc BonetSacked25 November 2023610 Harpreet Singh25 November 2023Churchill Brothers Edgardo Malvestiti6 January 2024911 Francesc Bonet27 January 2024Aizawl Malsawmzuala SailoEnd of Interim Period22 January 2024411 Bobi Stojkoski23 January 2024NEROCA Jacob JosephSacked9 February 20241113 Gyan Moyon9 February 2024Aizawl Bobi Stojkoski27 February 2024158 Malsawmzuala Sailo27 February 2024Gokulam Kerala Domingo Oramas31 March 2024225 Shareef Khan31 March 2024
Foreign players
Initially, the AIFF committee decided to reduce registered foreign players to five in the squad and three in the starting line-up and remove the mandatory Asian quota.
However, on 22nd August 2023, the AIFF decided to retain the number of foreigners a club can sign in the I-League. Like the 2022–23 season, clubs can register six foreign players in their matchday squad. However, they can field only four (one must be from an AFC Member Association) at any given point during a match.
Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Player 6 Former player(s)Aizawl Gustavo Silva Ivan Marić Rafał Zaborowski Amir MemariChurchill Brothers Aubin Kouakou Chika Ajulu Ogana Louis Abdou Karim Samb Martín Cháves Kofi Essien Ricardo Dichiara Emiliano Callegari Meysam ShahmakvandzadehDelhi Sérgio Barboza Hudson Jesus Pape Gassama Alisher Kholmurodov Shokhrukhbek Muratov Takuto Miki Aroldinho Joseba Beitia Alaaeldin NasrGokulam Kerala Aminou Bouba Álex Sánchez Pitu Viera Matija Babovic Nikola Stojanović Komron Tursunov Justine Emmanuel Nili Perdomo Edu BediaInter Kashi Gianni dos Santos Peter Hartley Fran Gómez Jordan Lamela Julen Pérez Mario BarcoMohammedan Alexis Gómez Juan Nellar Joseph Adjei Eddie Hernández Evgeniy Kozlov Mirjalol Kasimov Prince OpokuNamdhari Imanol Arana Iván Garrido Stephen Acquah Olmes GarcíaNEROCA Adama Coulibaly Ibrahim Nurudeen David Simbo Ansumana Kromah Haidar Awada Marius Leca Bogdan Gavrila Fabian ReidRajasthan United Jefferson Oliveira Ibrahim Moro Richardson Denzell Richard Gadze Marin Mudražija Paulo Vyctor Dário JúniorReal Kashmir Kamo Bayi Gnohere Krizo Carlos Lomba Kamal Issah Henry Kisekka Shaher Shaheen Mohamad MaksoudShillong Lajong Daniel Gonçalves Douglas Tardin Renan Paulino Marcos Rudwere Arik Bista Takuto Miki Abdou Karim SambSreenidi Deccan Eli Sabiá William Alves David Castañeda Ibrahim Sissoko Rilwan Hassan Faysal ShayestehTRAU Gerard Williams Ben Quansah Sardor Jakhonov Thawan Marcos Willian Reis Abraham Okyere Ibrahima Baldé
League table
Results
Results by games
Charity match The Mizoram Football Association in collaboration with Mizo Professional Footballers Association held a charity match on June 21. This match featured ISL vs I-League players from Mizoram to raise funds for Cyclone Remal victims.
Season statistics
Top scorers RankPlayerTeamGoals 1 Álex Sánchez Gokulam Kerala 19 2 Richardson Denzell Rajasthan United 16 3 Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia Aizawl 15 4 Eddie Hernández Mohammedan 13 Sérgio BarbozaDelhi 6 Gnohere Krizo Real Kashmir 12 Mario BarcoInter Kashi 8 David Castañeda Sreenidi Deccan 11 9 William Alves Sreenidi Deccan 9 10 Ogana LouisChurchill Brothers 7 Abdou Karim SambShillong Lajong/Churchill Brothers
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Ref Yash Tripathi Rajasthan United Delhi 3–4 (A) Álex Sánchez Gokulam Kerala Rajasthan United 5–0 (H) Lalrinzuala Lalbiaknia Aizawl NEROCA 3–1 (A) Richardson Denzell Rajasthan United TRAU 5-4 (H) Eddie Hernández Mohammedan Rajasthan United 5-1 (H) Abdou Karim Samb Churchill Brothers NEROCA 3–2 (A) Marin Mudrazija Rajasthan United NEROCA 5–1 (H) Sérgio Barboza Delhi Shillong Lajong 3–1 (H)
Top assists RankPlayerTeamAssists 1 Mario Barco Inter Kashi 12 2 Edmund Lalrindika Inter Kashi 8 Noufal PN Gokulam Kerala 4 Faysal Shayesteh Sreenidi Deccan 7 5 Imanol Arana Namdhari 6 Alexis Gómez Mohammedan Martín Cháves Churchill Brothers 8 Lalchungnunga Chhangte Rajasthan United 5 Hardy Nongbri Shillong Lajong Álex Sánchez Gokulam Kerala Deepak Singh TRAU Pape Gassama Delhi Lalremruata Ralte Churchill Brothers
Clean sheets RankPlayerTeamClean sheets1 Muheet ShabirReal Kashmir122 Padam ChettriMohammedan83 Albino GomesSreenidi Deccan7 Subhasish Roy ChowdhuryChurchill Brothers5 Nora FernandesAizawl56 Avilash PaulGokulam Kerala3 Sachin JhaRajashthan United Naveen KumarDelhi Devansh DabasGokulam Kerala10 Tenzin SamdupNamdhari2 Neithovilie ChalieuShillong Lajong Arindam BhattacharyaInter Kashi Bhabindra Malla ThakuriRajashthan United Nishan SinghNamdhari
Attendances Overall
Attendances by home matches Team \ Match played1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1112Total5,585 5,248 5,9876,425 6,718 6,1157,4384,8915,8126,617 7,151 7,81675,80319,76410,485 4,388 13,4252,0002,500 2,500 2,023 1,540 1,024 1,100 60061,3494,9003,786 1,773 5,825 3,885 1,821 2,500 N/A 200 1,000 2,000 24,67852,3681,8726,200 4,728 3,172 3,659 2,500 N/A 3,740 1,635 7,632 2,254 1,10038,4927672,000 3,004 3,4852,879 1,000 1,462 1,246 2,056 300N/AN/A18,1992,3141,8952,0001,683 500 1,633 825 1,025 981 200 275 55013,8816006181,100 1,182 1,058 918 150 200 500 250 200 2006,9762,687500123 259 127 447 187 200 752 325 232 4556,294561350300898 1,200 488 300 500 500 250 400 4006,147 750696 900 650 750 123 80 200 168 250 149 1904,906200 212 153 258 259 2,500 100 50 150 100 200 1004,282200315 100 128 422 128 512 259 222 152 500 1233,061150200 88 280 88 86 312 100 100 500 100 2002,204
Legend:
Updated to game(s) played on 13 April 2024 Source: I-League
Awards Álex Sánchez (Gokulam Kerala) has won the Hero of the match award the most times (7).