The 2012–13 I-League was the sixth season of the I-League, the Indian professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 2007. The season began on 6 October 2012 and finished on 12 May 2013 with Churchill Brothers crowned champions in matchday 25.
Dempo were the defending champions, having won their third I-League title the previous season.
On 29 December 2012, Mohun Bagan were barred from competing in the I-League for 2 years following a decision taken by the I League core committee. This was because they failed to turn up in the second half of the match against East Bengal because of crowd trouble. All their results in the I-League were declared null and void and all their remaining fixtures were cancelled. But on 15 January 2013, Mohun Bagan appealed the decision to ban them from the league and were reinstated, but would start on 0 points.
Teams A total of 14 teams contested the league, including 12 sides from the 2011–12 season and two promoted from the 2012 I-League 2nd Division.
ONGC as champions and United Sikkim as runners-up secured direct promotion from the 2012 I-League 2nd Division. ONGC returned to the I-League after a one-year absence, while United Sikkim made their debut in the I-League.
Stadium Changes
Air India and Mumbai FC Due to the ongoing redevelopment of the Cooperage Ground in Mumbai which is the regular home for Mumbai F.C. and Air India FC in the I-League both clubs will play at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune, Maharashtra until it is complete.
ONGC The newly promoted ONGC F.C. also usually play at the Cooperage Ground in Mumbai but due to the redevelopment the team decided to play at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi which is where the main company, ONGC, are based. However it will only be for five home matches.
Goan clubs The four Goan clubs in the I-League, Churchill Brothers, Dempo, Salgaocar, and Sporting Clube de Goa, usually play their I-League matches at the Fatorda Stadium in Margao. However, due to a major revamp at the stadium in preparation for the 2013 Lusophony Games which will be held in Goa, the Goan home games for the I-League will be played at the Duler Stadium and then the Tilak Maidan Stadium from the end of January.
Stadiums and Locations
Team Location Stadium Capacity Air India Mumbai, Maharashtra Balewadi Sports Complex # Churchill Brothers Salcette, Goa Duler Stadium # Dempo Panjim, Goa Duler Stadium # East Bengal Kolkata, West Bengal Salt Lake Stadium Mohun Bagan Kolkata, West Bengal Salt Lake Stadium Mumbai Mumbai, Maharashtra Balewadi Sports Complex # ONGC Mumbai, Maharashtra Ambedkar Stadium # Pailan Arrows Kolkata, West Bengal Salt Lake Stadium Prayag United Kolkata, West Bengal Salt Lake Stadium Pune Pune, Maharashtra Balewadi Sports Complex Salgaocar Vasco da Gama, Goa Duler Stadium # Shillong Lajong Shillong, Meghalaya Nehru Stadium Sporting Goa Panjim, Goa Duler Stadium # United Sikkim Gangtok, Sikkim Paljor Stadium
Personnel and kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Team Manager Captain Shirt sponsor Air India Naushad Moosa Vijith Shetty Air India Churchill Brothers Mariano Dias Beto Churchill Dempo Armando Colaco Clifford Miranda Dempo East Bengal Trevor Morgan Sanju Pradhan Kingfisher Mohun Bagan Karim Bencherifa Odafe Onyeka Okolie Fila Mumbai Khalid Jamil Zohib Amiri TEN HD ONGC Santosh Kashyap Jatin Singh ONGC Pailan Arrows Arthur Papas Shouvik Ghosh Poto Potato Flakes Prayag United Eelco Schattorie Deepak Mondal Prayag Group Pune Derrick Pereira Pierre Douhou Peninsula Salgaocar David Booth Luciano Sabrosa Salgaocar Shillong Lajong Thangboi Singto Renedy Singh Aircel Sporting Goa Oscar Bruzon Matthew Gonsalves Models United Sikkim Nathan Hall Anwar Ali URO
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment ONGC Caetano Pinho Unknown 30 April 2012 Pre-Season Subrata Bhattacharya 30 April 2012 Pailan Arrows End of tenure as interim manager 7 May 2012 Pre-Season Arthur Papas 24 May 2012 Mohun Bagan Sacked 26 May 2012 Pre-Season Santosh Kashyap 26 May 2012 Air India Santosh Kashyap Signed by Mohun Bagan 26 May 2012 Pre-Season Godfrey Pereira 3 July 2012 Shillong Lajong Pradhyum Reddy Changed to a Head of Youth 8 June 2012 Pre-Season Desmond Bulpin 8 June 2012 Churchill Brothers Carlos Roberto Pereira Did not renew contract 7 May 2012 Pre-Season Mariano Dias 13 July 2012 Mohun Bagan Santosh Kashyap Resigned 13 October 2012 11th (2 games In) Mridul Banerjee 19 October 2012 Salgaocar Karim Bencherifa Resigned 20 October 2012 9th (2 games In) Peter Vales 20 October 2012 Prayag United Sanjoy Sen Resigned 8 November 2012 5th (4 games In) Eelco Schattorie 8 November 2012 Salgaocar Peter Vales Interem period ended 9 November 2012 9th (4 games In) David Booth 9 November 2012 United Sikkim Philippe De Ridder Changed Post to football director 13 November 2012 11th (5 games In) Baichung Bhutia 13 November 2012 Mohun Bagan Mridul Banerjee Interim period ended 19 November 2012 5th (6 games in) Karim Bencherifa 19 November 2012 Sporting Goa Ekendra Singh Moved to Goalkeeper Coach 3 December 2012 11th (9 games in) Oscar Bruzon 3 December 2012 United Sikkim Baichung Bhutia Interim period ended 10 December 2012 12th (10 games in) Nathan Hall 10 December 2012 ONGC Subrata Bhattacharya Sacked 18 December 2012 14th (11 games in) Santosh Kashyap 18 December 2012 Air India Godfrey Pereira Resigned 27 December 2012 10th (10 games in) Anthony Fernandes 30 December 2012 Shillong Lajong Desmond Bulpin Sacked 22 January 2013 12th (16 games in) Thangboi Singto 22 January 2013 Air India Anthony Fernandes Interim period ended 2 March 2013 12th (17 games in) Naushad Moosa 2 March 2013
Foreign players Restricting the number of foreign players strictly to four per team, including a slot for a player from AFC countries. A team could use three foreign players on the field each game including a least one player from the AFC country.
Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Asian Player Air India Henry Ezeh Junior Obagbemiro Amos Omeje Mujtaba Faiz Churchill Brothers Beto Henry Antchouet Lamine Tamba Balal Arezou Dempo Johnny Menyongar Koko Sakibo None Ryuji Sueoka East Bengal Chidi Edeh Uga Okpara Penn Orji Andrew Barisic Mohun Bagan Quinton Jacobs Echezona Anyichie Odafe Okolie Tolgay Özbey Mumbai Evans Quao Yusif Yakubu David Opara Zohib Amiri ONGC Eric Brown Muritala Ali Hassan Odeola Katsumi Yusa Pailan ArrowsPailan Arrows don't use foreigners as they are a Developmental Team Prayag United Carlos Hernández Ranti Martins Bello Razaq Kayne VincentPrayag United are allowed up to four foreign players (per I-League rules), one of which must be from Asia. Despite being a New Zealander and having represented them at youth international level Kayne Vincent is considered Japanese due to his Japanese mother. Pune Pierre Douhou Chika Wali James Moga Boima Karpeh Salgaocar Josimar Luciano Sabrosa O. J. Obatola John Wilkinson Shillong Lajong Sho Kamimura Taisuke Matsugae Edinho Júnior Minchol Son Sporting Goa Ogba Kalu Nnanna Ángel Berlanga Juanfri Seiya Sugishita United Sikkim John Landa Salau Nuruddin Pablo Rodríguez Steve Hayes
League table
Results
Statistical leaders
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Ranti MartinsPrayag United262 Odafe Onyeka OkolieMohun Bagan193 Chidi EdehEast Bengal184 James MogaPune165 Henry AntchouetChurchill Brothers146 BetoChurchill Brothers137 Ogba Kalu NnannaSporting Goa11 Ryuji SueokaDempo9 Akram MoghrabiChurchill Brothers10 Yusif YakubuMumbai Tolgay ÖzbeyMohun Bagan
Top Indian Scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 C.K. VineethPrayag United72 Joaquim AbranchesDempo6 Bineesh BalanChurchill Brothers Francis FernandesSalgaocar5 Peter CarvalhoDempo5 Dawson FernandesSporting Goa Arata Izumi Pune Jeje LalpekhluaPune Holicharan NarzaryPailan Arrows Clifford MirandaDempo Sushil Kumar SinghShillong Lajong Milan SinghPailan Arrows Lalrindika RalteEast Bengal
Hattricks Player For Against Result Round Date Ranti Martins Prayag United Air India 5–1 1 Akram Moghrabi Churchill Brothers ONGC 5–0 2 Odafe Onyeka Okolie Mohun Bagan Sporting Goa 3–1 4 Ranti MartinsMartins scored 5 goals in this match. Prayag United United Sikkim 10–1 5 Bineesh Balan Churchill Brothers Sporting Goa 8–4 11 Chidi Edeh East Bengal Salgaocar 4–1 14 Koko Sakibo Dempo United Sikkim 7–0 17 C.K. Vineeth Prayag United Air India 4–1 19 Odafe Onyeka Okolie Mohun Bagan Sporting Goa 5–1 23 Josimar Salgaocar United Sikkim 9–0 24
Notes
References