ISL: Kerala, Kolkata, Goa, Northeast shortlisted as possible venue for 2020-21 season

It’s no secret that owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 season will witness a few changes. In a major development, The Bridge has learnt that the entire tournament will be held in just one region, one of Kerala, Kolkata, Goa or Northeast.

The window for the tournament has been determined as November to March and clubs have been informed that in all likelihood, all matches will be held behind closed doors.

Football Sports Development Ltd (FSDL) met with representatives from each club recently wherein the possible changes — owing to the pandemic which has wrecked havoc all across the world — were discussed. It was concluded that hosting the entire tournament in a single region, like the remaining matches of the UEFA Champions League are being held in Lisbon, would be the best option.

https://twitter.com/whynotkundu/status/1280080985288110080

The idea is that three-four stadiums will be selected from the region where all the matches will take place.

Kolkata, as a region, seems to be the more appealing of the lot. With venues like Salt Lake Stadium, Rabindra Sarovar Stadium, Kalyani Stadium, and others, there are a lot of options. Moreover, most of these stadiums are in good condition. Kerala and Goa will also be considered, while Guwahati and it's surrounding regions, Imphal, Aizawl etc, are in the race as well.

The final venue will be decided at a later date. Of course, the guidelines and safety precautions of each of these regions will be taken into consideration before taking the decision. It remains to be seen how the teams plan, a lot still remains to resolved.

Also read: No spectators, no foreigners? How will coronavirus impact Indian football