The 2018–19 I-League was the 12th season of the I-League, the top Indian professional football league, since its establishment in 2007. The season started on 26 October 2018 and is scheduled to conclude in March 2019. Unlike the Indian Super League, the I-League did not take a mid-season break during the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Minerva Punjab was the defending champions having won the previous season. Real Kashmir joined as a promoted club from the I-League 2nd Division. Churchill Brothers, having been relegated the previous season, were given an exemption by the All India Football Federation for this season.
Chennai City FC were the champions for this season, winning the title on the last day. This was their first title win in the history of the club. The top scorer in the league was Chennai City FC's Pedro Manzi, who finished the season with 21 goals.
Teams
Stadiums and locations Team City/State Stadium Capacity Aizawl Aizawl, Mizoram Rajiv Gandhi Stadium 25,000 Chennai City Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 35,000 Churchill Brothers Vasco da Gama, Goa Tilak Maidan Stadium15,000 East Bengal Kolkata, West Bengal Salt Lake Stadium85,000 Gokulam Kerala Kozhikode, Kerala EMS Stadium80,000 Indian Arrows Cuttack, Odisha Bhubaneswar, Odisha Barabati StadiumKalinga Stadium 60,00030,000 Minerva Punjab Panchkula, Chandigarh Tau Devi Lal Stadium 15,000 Mohun Bagan Kolkata, West Bengal Salt Lake Stadium 85,000 NEROCA Imphal, Manipur Khuman Lampak Main Stadium40,000 Real Kashmir Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir TRC Turf Ground15,000 Shillong Lajong Shillong, Meghalaya Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium 35,000
Personnel and sponsorship Team Head coach Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Aizawl Stanley Rozario Vamos NECS Limited Chennai City Akbar NawasPenaltyNippon Paint Churchill Brothers Petre Gigiu Nivia Churchill Group East Bengal Alejandro Menéndez Perf Quess Corp Gokulam Kerala Gift Raikhan Kaizen Aqualine Indian Arrows Floyd Pinto Nike Hero Minerva Punjab Sachin Badadhe Astro Apollo Tyres Mohun Bagan Khalid Jamil Shiv Naresh None NEROCA Manuel Retamero Fraile Sqad Gear Classic Group Real Kashmir David Robertson Adidas J&K Bank Shillong Lajong Alison Kharsyntiew Lotto McDowell's No.1
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departurePosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Chennai City V. Soundararajan Contract finished Pre-season Akbar Nawas 20 March 2018 Aizawl Santosh Kashyap Contract finished Gift Raikhan 6 June 2018 NEROCA Gift Raikhan Contract finished Manuel Retamero Fraile 6 July 2018 Indian Arrows Luís Norton de Matos Contract finished Floyd Pinto 25 July 2018 Minerva Punjab Khogen Singh Contract finished Paul Munster 9 August 2018 East Bengal Khalid Jamil Mutual consent Alejandro Menéndez 20 August 2018 Mohun Bagan Sankarlal Chakraborty Resigned 6th(11 game in) Khalid Jamil 7 January 2019 Aizawl Gift Raikhan Resigned 10th(11 game in) Stanley Rozario 9 January 2019 Minerva Punjab Paul Munster Resigned 9th(16 game in) Sachin Badadhe(interim) 12 February 2019 Gokulam Kerala Bino George Move To Technical Director 10th(18 game in) Gift Raikhan 28 February 2019
Foreign players On 20 June 2018, it was decided by the All India Football Federation that the number of foreigners for each I-League club will be kept six as previous season. Asian player quota is abolished. Clubs can sign maximum six players of any nationality.
Indian Arrows cannot sign any foreign players as they are the AIFF developmental team.
ClubForeigner 1Foreigner 2Foreigner 3Foreigner 4Foreigner 5Foreigner 6 Aizawl Léonce Dodoz Alfred Jaryan Ansumana Kromah Kareem Omolaja Richard Kasagga Chennai City Mauro Boerchio Jozef Kapláň Roberto Eslava Néstor Gordillo Pedro Manzi Sandro Rodríguez Churchill Brothers Nenad Novakovic Lorougnon Christ Remi Hussein Eldor Willis Plaza Anthony Wolfe Khalid Aucho East Bengal Jhonny Acosta Enrique Esqueda Kassim Aidara Toni Dovale Borja Gómez Pérez Jaime Santos Gokulam Kerala Daniel Addo Fabien Vorbe Ejiogu Emmanual Andre Ettienne Marcus Joseph Minerva Punjab Jorge Caceido Kalif Alhassan Juan Quero Mahmoud Amnah Roland Bilala Mohun Bagan Aser Pierrick Dipanda Omar Elhussieny Sony Norde Yuta Kinowaki Kingsley Obumneme Henry KisekkaNEROCA Aryn Williams Chencho Gyeltshen Eduardo Ferreira Katsumi Yusa Varney Kallon Felix Chidi Odili Real Kashmir Abednego Tetteh Bazie Armand Gnohere Krizo Loveday Enyinnaya Mason Robertson Aaron Katebe Shillong Lajong
League table Standings
Results
Season statistics Scoring
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Willis PlazaChurchill Brothers 21 Pedro ManziChennai City 3 Enrique EsquedaEast Bengal 9 Jobby JustinEast Bengal Sandro RodríguezChennai City Ansumana KromahAizawl 7 Néstor GordilloChennai City 8 Aser Pierrick DipandaMohun Bagan Felix Chidi OdiliNEROCA Laldanmawia RalteEast Bengal 11 Marcus JosephGokulam Kerala7
Top Indian scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Jobby JustinEast Bengal 92 Laldanmawia RalteEast Bengal 83 LalkhawpuimawiaAizawl 6 Phrangki BuamShillong Lajong 5 Samuel KynshiShillong Lajong56Naorem Mahesh SinghShillong Lajong 4Rohit Danu Indian Arrows Subhash SinghNEROCA 9Surchandra SinghReal Kashmir3 Samuel LalmuanpuiaShillong Lajong Amarjit Singh Kiyam Indian ArrowsRahul Kannoly Praveen Indian Arrows
Hat-tricks
Player For Against Result Date Ref Chennai City Indian Arrows 4–1 (H) Churchill Brothers Shillong Lajong 4–2 (H) Chennai City Shillong Lajong 6–1 (H) Chennai City Gokulam Kerala 3–2 (H) Chennai City NEROCA 3–3 (A) East Bengal Shillong Lajong 5–0 (H)
Cleansheets
RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Bilal KhanReal Kashmir 9 2 James KithanChurchill Brothers5 Prabhsukhan Singh GillIndian Arrows Rakshit DagarEast Bengal5 Shilton PaulMohun Bagan4 6 Bhaskar RoyMinerva Punjab3 Lalit ThapaNEROCA LalawmpuiaAizawl 9 Nauzet SantanaChennai City2 Mauro BoerchioNEROCA Arshdeep SinghMinerva Punjab Shankar RoyMohun Bagan Gurpreet Singh ChabalAizawl
Average home attendances
TeamEast Bengal10272,69964,8679,95227,270 NEROCA10191,38329,9326,13519,139Mohun Bagan10176,48662,6283,38817,649 Gokulam Kerala10148,23030,2462,13614,823 Real Kashmir992,44012,8572,79211,206Chennai City1061,3819,8563,2536,138 Minerva Punjab1056,2398,5913,4705,624 Shillong Lajong1041,23114,6971,1074,123 Churchill Brothers1033,8673,7962,4173,387 Aizawl1028,8015,3248632,881 Indian Arrows1016,4974,520 1001,640Total10911,14,34964,86710010,223
Awards Hero of the Match MatchHero of the MatchMatchHero of the MatchMatchHero of the Match Player Club Player Club Player Club Match 1 Pedro Manzi Chennai City Match 38 Nagen Tamang Real Kashmir Match 75 Jobby Justin East Bengal Match 2 Enrique Esqueda East Bengal Match 39 Amarjit Singh Kiyam Indian Arrows Match 76 Gnohere Krizo Real Kashmir Match 3 Arjun Jayaraj Gokulam Kerala Match 40 Khalid Aucho Churchill Brothers Match 77 Arnab Das Sharma Gokulam Kerala Match 4 Philip Njoku Minerva Punjab Match 41 Ningthoujam Pritam Singh Gokulam Kerala Match 78 Willis Plaza Churchill Brothers Match 5 Naorem Mahesh Singh Shillong Lajong Match 42 Alexander Romario Chennai City Match 79 Boris Singh Thangjam Indian Arrows Match 6 Bilal Khan Real Kashmir Match 43 Laldanmawia Ralte East Bengal Match 80 Lalrinchhana Aizawl Match 7 Ronald Singh NEROCA Match 44 Henry Kisekka Mohun Bagan Match 81 Rahim Ali Indian Arrows Match 8 Jobby Justin East Bengal Match 45 Jaime Santos East Bengal Match 82 Naorem Mahesh Singh Shillong Lajong Match 9 Nenad Novaković Churchill Brothers Match 46 Amarjit Singh Kiyam Indian Arrows Match 83 Loveday Enyinnaya Real Kashmir Match 10 Sony Norde Mohun Bagan Match 47 Roberto Eslava Chennai City Match 84 Enrique Esqueda East Bengal Match 11 Ajith Kumar Chennai City Match 48 Malemngamba Meitei NEROCA Match 85 Sandro Rodríguez Chennai City Match 12 Ashish Rai Indian Arrows Match 49 Henry Kisekka Mohun Bagan Match 86 Nenad Novaković Churchill Brothers Match 13 Danish Farooq Real Kashmir Match 50 Eduardo Ferreira NEROCA Match 87 Pedro Manzi Chennai City Match 14 Malemngamba Meitei NEROCA Match 51 Jobby Justin East Bengal Match 88 Laldanmawia Ralte East Bengal Match 15 Lancine Touré Minerva Punjab Match 52 Alfred Jaryan Aizawl Match 89 Henry Kisekka Mohun Bagan Match 16 Aser Pierrick Dipanda Mohun Bagan Match 53 Pedro Manzi Chennai City Match 90 Marcus Joseph Gokulam Kerala Match 17 Felix Chidi Odili NEROCA Match 54 Nickson Castanha Churchill Brothers Match 91 Lalrindika Ralte East Bengal Match 18 Gani Nigam Gokulam Kerala Match 55 Subhash Singh NEROCA Match 92 match not held Match 19 Edwin Sydney Vanspaul Chennai City Match 56 Pedro Manzi Chennai City Match 93 Pedro Manzi Chennai City Match 20 Willis Plaza Churchill Brothers Match 57 Anwar Ali Indian Arrows Match 94 Naorem Mahesh Singh Shillong Lajong Match 21 Kabir Thaufiq Chennai City Match 58 Anthony Wolfe Churchill Brothers Match 95 Juan Quero Minerva Punjab Match 22 Rajesh S Gokulam Kerala Match 59 Mason Robertson Real Kashmir Match 96 Suresh Singh Wangjam Indian Arrows Match 23 Aser Pierrick Dipanda Mohun Bagan Match 60 Jobby Justin East Bengal Match 97 Néstor Gordillo Chennai City Match 24 Novin Gurung Shillong Lajong Match 61 Omar Elhussieny Mohun Bagan Match 98 Léonce Dodoz Aizawl Match 25 Léonce Dodoz Zikahi Aizawl Match 62 Dawda Ceesay Churchill Brothers Match 99 Enrique Esqueda East Bengal Match 26 Néstor Gordillo Chennai City Match 63 Alfred Jaryan Aizawl Match 100 Lalkhawpuimawia Aizawl Match 27 Bazie Armand Real Kashmir Match 64 Shilton Paul Mohun Bagan Match 101 Rahul Kannoly Praveen Indian Arrows Match 28 Willis Plaza Churchill Brothers Match 65 Lalengmawia Indian Arrows Match 102 Willis Plaza Churchill Brothers Match 29 Arjun Jayaraj Gokulam Kerala Match 66 Alexander Romario Chennai City Match 103 Laldanmawia Ralte East Bengal Match 30 Philip Njoku Minerva Punjab Match 67 Borja Gómez Pérez East Bengal Match 104 Daniel Addo Gokulam Kerala Match 31 Sony Norde Mohun Bagan Match 68 Sandro Rodríguez Chennai City Match 105 Paul Ramfangzauva Aizawl Match 32 Subhash Singh NEROCA Match 69 Marcus Joseph Gokulam Kerala Match 106 Phrangki Buam Shillong Lajong Match 33 William Opoku Minerva Punjab Match 70 Phurba Lachenpa Shillong Lajong Match 107 Lalawmpuia Aizawl Match 34 Bazie Armand Real Kashmir Match 71 Willis Plaza Churchill Brothers Match 108 Danish Farooq Real Kashmir Match 35 Felix Chidi Odili NEROCA Match 72 Phurba Lachenpa Shillong Lajong Match 109 Laldanmawia Ralte East Bengal Match 36 Jobby Justin East Bengal Match 73 Willis Plaza Churchill Brothers Match 110 Gaurav Bora Chennai City Match 37 Israil Gurung Churchill Brothers Match 74 Malemngamba Meitei NEROCA
See also 2018–19 Indian Super League
References
External links Official website