We take a look at how the professional clubs in India are distributed geographically…
10 Indian Super League (ISL) sides, 11 teams in the I- League and 17 teams spread across three groups in the I-League second division. Aside from the reserve sides of eight ISL clubs and that of Punjab FC that play in the I-League second division, we have 30 teams involved in professional football in India.
We take a look at how the clubs are spread across the country.
It comes as no surprise that West Bengal houses the most number of clubs (4). ATK was the only ISL side from the state last season. Historic clubs East Bengal and Mohun Bagan were representatives in the I-League. Howrah-based Mohammedan SC and Kolkata side Bhawanipore are the Bengal clubs playing in the second division of the I-League. The recent merger between ATK and Mohun Bagan reduces the count by one.
Kerala comes next, with three representatives – one in each of the leagues. Kerala Blasters feature in the ISL, Calicut-based Gokulam Kerala in the I-League and Kerala FC from Thrissur in the second division.
Goa too boasts of two clubs featuring in the professional leagues. ISL Shield winners FC Goa and I-League side Churchill Brothers.
Karnataka has produced two sides to the professional leagues. Two-time I-League champions Bengaluru FC currently feature in the ISL. Bengaluru United represents the capital city in the I-League second division.
Kashmir also has two sides, both based in Srinagar. Real Kashmir feature in the I-League whereas Lonestar Kashmir play in the second division.
Tamil Nadu houses two heavyweights – one each in the ISL and the I-League. Two-time ISL champions Chennaiyin FC have their base in the capital city. The 2018-19 I-League winners Chennai City FC play from Coimbatore.
Then we head north-east. Manipur houses the highest clubs in this region, with TRAU FC and NEROCA representing Imphal in the I-League. Mizoram and Assam have one team each – Aizawl in the I-League and NorthEast United in the ISL.
Maharashtra (Mumbai City), Odisha (Odisha FC), Jharkhand (Jamshedpur FC) and Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad FC) each have a single representative in the ISL and no clubs elsewhere. But when you count Indian Arrows, who will play from Mumbai from now on, Maharashtra will have two clubs.
Punjab FC represents the state of Punjab in the I-League. They also have a developmental team featuring in the second division.
Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat are represented by Garhwal FC, AU Rajasthan FC and ARA FC respectively in the second division.
NOTE: Bihar, Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Chhattisgarh, Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and other Union Territores (other than Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir) do not have any representative.
| State | Number of teams |
| West Bengal | 4 |
| Kerala | 3 |
| Goa | 2 |
| Karnataka | 2 |
| Tamil Nadu | 2 |
| Kashmir | 2 |
| Manipur | 2 |
| Maharashtra | 2 |
| Assam | 1 |
| Mizoram | 1 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1 |
| Odisha | 1 |
| Punjab | 1 |
| Delhi | 1 |
| Rajasthan | 1 |
| Gujarat | 1 |
| Jharkhand | 1 |
Be the first to comment