Football
Seven ISL clubs to join RFYC in inaugural Development League from April 15
Eight teams comprising India's best emerging footballers will participate in the inaugural season of the ISL Development League from April 15 to May 12. Top two teams will qualify for the Next Gen Cup hosted by the Premier League.
Players born on or after January 1, 2001 will be eligible to participate in the league. (ISL)
Seven clubs from the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) will be joined by a team from Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) for the inaugural Development League in Goa from April 15 to May 12, it was announced on Thursday.
Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa, Jamshedpur FC, Kerala Blasters FC, Mumbai City FC and Hyderabad FC have confirmed their participation for this first of its kind initiative in India. Northeast United, Odisha FC and the two Kolkata clubs ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will not be part of the inaugural season.
This league will provide a unique opportunity for emerging players to compete against the best talent in their age group from across the country. Such developmental leagues are common in many European and South American countries.
Players born on or after January 1, 2001 will be eligible to participate in the league but each team has been granted permission to include up to 5 players born on or after January 1, 1999 in their squads. No more than three such players will be permitted to be part of the playing XI at all times. Each club can travel to Goa with a maximum of 24 players but no foreign nationals can be included in their squads.
The league will be played on a single round robin basis, allowing each team to feature in seven matches. To ensure playing standards are maintained, the schedule will permit two full days of rest between games and a four day window of no matches halfway through the competition.
The matches will be played at two grounds in South Goa, with three training grounds available to the teams to prepare for their encounters. The teams are expected to arrive in Goa by April 12 and train for the next two days before the tournament commences.
The added bonus for teams that finish in the top two at the end of the league will be given the chance to participate at the Next Gen Cup to be hosted in the United Kingdom for the first time later this year. The Next Gen Cup will be hosted by the Premier League (PL) as part of its longstanding partnership with the ISL to support the development of football in India. The top two teams will be joined by selected PL Club youth teams, providing Indian players the chance to experience playing in the UK and competing against academy sides from the most watched football league in the world.
