Ten Action to air 75 I-League & 15 Fed Cup matches

Ten Action & Ten Sports to air

75 I-League & 15 Fed Cup matches

The country’s premier football tournament, I-League will kick off on September 21 with 14 teams in the fray.

A three-month window has been provided for the IPL-style football league in January-March next year. 

A total of 75 I-league matches and 15 Federation Cup matches will be telecast live on Ten Action and Ten Sports.

Defending champions Churchill Brothers will take on Salgaocar FC in the opening match of the 26-round league at Duler in Goa.

Defending champions East Bengal have been clubbed along with new I-League entrants Bengaluru Football Club, Sporting Clube de Goa and Rangdajied United in Group B in the Federation Cup making it a keenly contested group. Churchill Brothers, United SC, Pune FC and a qualifier will form Group A while Salgaocar, Mohun Bagan, Mumbai FC and Shillong Lajong constitute Group C. Dempo SC, Mohammedan Sporting, Mumbai Tigers and another qualifier are in Group D.

Also, The Federation Cup tournament will not be played in home and away format, instead in the group and knockout basis for this year. The tournament will be held in January 1-12 next year and 15 Federation Cup matches will be aired on Ten Action. The venue is yet to be decided.

All India Football Federation's developmental outfit Pailan Arrows will not play in I-League. Pailan Arrows has been disbanded due to lack of financial commitment from its sponsors.

Earlier West Bengal's football association, The Indian Football Association (IFA) had scrapped its ambitious plans to launch Premeir League Soccer, a franchise-based league that was due to feature the likes of Argentina legend Hernan Crespo and Italy’s FIFA World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro.