Just as three Goan clubs pulled out of the I-League and it seemed to have spelt doom for the competition, one of the old champion clubs from the state, Churchill Brothers, rose again. For company, they had Minerva Punjab FC from Chandigarh and Chennai City FC from the capital city of Tamil Nadu.
This got the I-League back to the 10-team format and also added a more pan-India presence to it. With new clubs in the fray, there was certainly some excitement around what is still India’s top tier football league.
January 7, 2017, marked the commencement of the 10th edition of the I-League. While Kingfisher East Bengal hosted Aizawl FC in the season opener, Bengaluru FC played host to Shillong Lajong FC in the second game of the season.
The following day saw two debutants go head to head, with Chennai City FC making their maiden I-League appearance at home against the other new club – Minerva Punjab FC. The two matches that followed saw Mumbai FC hosting DSK Shivajians in the Maharashtra Derby, while Mohun Bagan welcomed the returning Churchill Brothers simultaneously.
While Bengaluru FC gave an account of their title challenge with a fine 3-0 win, Mohun Bagan managed to garner three points too, getting the better of...
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