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The 2020-21 season of ISL will kick-off on November 20 with Kerala Blasters taking on ATK Mohun Bagan at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, Goa. And like most of the leagues across Asia, the main focus will be on foreign players this time as well.
With ISL allowing five overseas players on the pitch at a time, the clubs spend heavily to acquire the best talents from across the globe and bring them to India. While for some, ISL is a stepping stone to bigger things in their footballing careers, for many others who have hit their peak, it is their last big paycheck.
Stiven Mendoza enjoyed a stellar career after his ISL stint. The Colombian helped Chennaiyin FC win the second season of ISL and earned his first senior international cap four years later. He now plies his trade with Amiens in the French second division. However, his story is not the norm.
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The foreign players who were successful with their ISL clubs last season have been retained or switched their loyalties to other teams in the competition. Only seven of them have managed a contract at top-tier clubs across the globe so far, while four of them have officially announced their retirement.
However, a lot of them are reeling without a club and are free agents or have found space in the lower tiers of European leagues.
Hyderabad FC
Hyderabad FC's biggest draw last season was Marcelinho. The Brazilian playmaker played in every edition of ISL since 2016 but and turn out for Odisha FC this season. The other Brazilian in the squad, Bobo, is playing for a second-tier club Oeste in his country and has a goal to his name in six appearances.
Rafael Lopez Gomez, their veteran center-back is without a club, while his English teammate Matthew Kilgallon has penned a contract with Buxton FC, which plays in the seventh tier of the English football pyramid.
Their defensive midfielder Marko Stankovic has hung up his boots and is now a reporter with Sky Sport Austria. Jamaican international Giles Barnes, on the other hand, is still searching for a club.
Former I-League-winning midfielder Nestor Gordillo is the only player to continue his association with Hyderabad FC courtesy the two-year contract that he signed earlier.
NorthEast United FC
NorthEast United were the only team in ISL last season to have a marquee player in the form of Asamoah Gyan. The former World Cup player, however, was injured midway through the season and is reportedly close to signing a deal with Ghana Premier League club Legon Cities FC. Maximiliano Barreiro, who also left the club midway, has signed for Ecuadorian Serie A club SD Aucus.
Simon Lundevall, who joined the Highlanders in the January transfer window, has penned a deal with Greek Super League club Volos. Andy Keogh, the other forward who penned a short-term contract with NorthEast United, will turn up for A-League club Perth Glory after acquiring his Australian passport.
Their center-back duo Kai Heerings and Mislav Komorski will also not show up in the ISL this season as they have signed with second-tier clubs in Netherlands and Croatia, MVV Maastricht and NK Seveste, respectively.
Jose David Leudo, Martin Chaves, and Panagiotis Triadis are without a club whereas Federico Gallego will be the only player who will continue his spell with NorthEast United FC in the upcoming season.
Jamshedpur FC
With 148 La Liga appearances and aged 39, Piti was last year's oldest player in the ISL. However, he got injured after playing 6 matches and has now signed for Tercera Division club Atletico de Pinto. Another Jamshedpur FC player from last season, Noe Acosta, too, will be plying his trade with the same club.
Sergio Castel, who was leading the Golden Boot race before he got injured and went out of contention, will play for Segunda Division B club UD Ibiza on loan from Atletico Madrid. Spanish centre-back Tiri has signed for ATK Mohun Bagan while his compatriot Memo Moura has jumped ship to Chennaiyin FC.
Aitor Monroy and David Grande are the only two foreign players who will continue with Jamshedpur FC this season.
Kerala Blasters
Kerala Blasters pinned their hopes on Bartholomew Ogbeche last season after bringing him on board from NorthEast United FC. The Nigerian scored 15 goals in 16 appearances for them but signed with City Football Group-backed Mumbai City FC for the upcoming ISL season.
Their other foreign striker, Raphael Messi Bouli, will turn up for Chinese League One side Heilongjiang Lava Spring this season. Moustapha Gning has returned to Segunda Division B club SD Ejea from where he joined Kerala Blasters. Vlatko Drobarov will continue his nomadic journey at Bulgarian top tier club Cherno More Varna.
Jairo Rodrigues, Gianni Zuiverloon, and Mario Arques haven't penned a contract with any club so far. Sergio Cidoncha will be the only player from last season to don the yellow colors of Kerala Blasters this season.
Odisha FC
They were the only ISL club last season to sign a foreign goalkeeper, Francisco Dorronsoro, who has returned to Spain to play for Segunda Division B club CF Badalona. Their defender Carlos Delgado, who joined the club on loan from Segunda Division B club CD Castellon, has finished his spell.
Their defensive midfielder Martin Perez Guedes has signed for second division Argentine club GEJ. The other two midfielders in their team Marcos Tfebar and Xisco Hernandez are free agents, having left the club.
Aridane Santana, who played for Odisha FC and was their leading goalscorer last season, will now don Hyderabad FC's jersey. Manuel Onwu and Diawandou Diagne are the only two players from last season who will continue under new coach Stuart Baxter.
Mumbai City FC
Revamping themselves completely after investment from City Football Group, Mumbai City FC are the only club in this season of ISL who will not have a single foreign player from last season.
The club released Paulo Machado after the season got over and the former Dinamo Zagreb player has signed for Portuguese second division club Leixoes SC. Gabonese international Serge Kevyn, on the other hand, will play for fourth-tier club SC Salgueiros.
Tunisian international Mohamed Larbi has signed for French third division club SO Cholet, whereas the only foreign center-back in the team, Mato Grgic, will play in Croatia's second division for NK Rudes.
Modou Sougou, Amine Chermiti, and Diego Carlos are free agents still waiting for a club.
Chennaiyin FC
Chennaiyin FC went from the bottom of the pile to the ISL runners-up courtesy Owen Coyle. Their foreign players played a significant part but the management only decided to retain Eli Sabia and Rafael Crivellaro.
Last season's ISL Golden Boot Winner Nerijus Valskis will play for Jamshedpur FC while Maltese legend Andre Schembri has announced his retirement. The Romanian duo of Dragos Firtulescu and Lucian Goian and Afghanistan international Masih Saighani are free agents.
Bengaluru FC
Finishing the season without a trophy and failing to qualify for the AFC Cup, Bengaluru FC will continue with mostly the same set of foreign players as the management reposed their faith on them and expect better from them.
Juanan, Dimas Delgado, Deshorn Brown, and Erik Paartalu have been retained. Manuel Onwu, who was loaned to Odisha FC in the January transfer window, will continue with them while the club reached an agreement with Raphael Augusto to terminate his contract.
Kevaughn Frater and Nili Perdomo, whom the club signed in January to strengthen their squad on a short-term contract, have penned deals with Israeli top division club Maccabi Netanya FC and Greek Super League club AEL, respectively. Bengaluru FC has also parted ways with Albert Serran who now plays for Spanish fifth-tier club CF Montanesa.
ATK
RPSG owned ATK won last year's ISL competition with the owners buying an 80% stake in Mohun Bagan to play as ATK Mohun Bagan from the forthcoming season. Having kept Antonio Lopez Habas on board, the club also has the majority of ATK's foreign players in their ranks.
David Williams, Roy Krishna, Carl McHugh, Edu Garcia, and Javi Hernandez will don the Green and Maroon colors this ISL. John Johnson is also at Goa training with the squad but has not been registered officially in the competition.
Agus Garcia has announced his retirement while the other center-back from last season, Victor Mongil, will return to play for Georgian champions Dinamo Tbilisi this season.
FC Goa
Last season's ISL League Stage winners FC Goa have only one foreign player continuing with them as half of them have followed Sergio Lobera to Mumbai City FC. Edu Bedia is the only Gaur to show his loyalty towards them in the forthcoming ISL season.
Hugo Boumous, Mourtada Fall, and Ahmed Jahouh constitute the trio who will be playing for Mumbai City FC this season. Carlos Pena has hung his boots but the club and ISL's biggest miss this time will be all-time top goalscorer Ferran Corominas who has signed for Segunda Division B club Atletico Baleares.
