The ISL is back! The 2024-25 season of the Indian Super League begins on September 13, and it should be a cracker. The big news is that the big three of Kolkata football -- and indeed Indian football -- are reunited as Mohammedan Sporting Club joins Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in what is now firmly India's top division. With that new spice, add the sensational competitiveness we saw last season and we could see even greater drama, with little to separate the sides.
What's good to see is the stability the clubs are showing: there are only three 'new' head coaches and that should allow us to see long-term strategies play out, and translate to better football on the field.
As is customary now, we pick out 6 aspects of every team - the coach, the best player, the team's biggest strength, their major worries, what to watch out for, and their most exciting new signing. We've also made predictions, but this is Indian football, and predictions are the most uncertain thing we can do here.
(Note: The teams appear in the order they finished the league stage last season.)
Mohun Bagan Super Giant
Coach: (NEW) Jose Molina. Replaced Antonio Habas and won the ISL in 2016. In 2024, he's replaced Habas again and will be expected to lead Bagan in defending their ISL Shield title. Has spent a large part of the last six years as a sporting director, not manager.
Player: Dimi Petratos. Greg Stewart. Pick one. They're equally the two best players in the league.*
Strength: See above. Bagan's frankly obsence wealth of options in a star-studded squad means they win most games even before a ball is kicked
Worry: How will Molina fit the wealth of attacking options into a cohesive outfit on the pitch. The Durand Cup final loss also displayed some worrying signs of complency. Can they also cope with the whole Anwar Ali saga that was surely a disruption to their defensive plans this season?
W2W4: Will the chaos of the Kolkata maidan undermine or even enhance Bagan's march to the title this year?
Signing: Jamie MacLaren / Apuia / Greg Stewart. Whether Bagan needed the all-time A-League top-scorer in Maclaren is one thing, but who can turn down guaranteed goals? Apuia's signing, however, was crucial in covering for Joni Kauko's departure in midfield. Greg Stewart destroying ISL defences with his genius is a much-welcome sight again.
Prediction: Bagan winning trophies is the easiest prediction to make in Indian football, and we can expect them to win one of the ISL Cup or Shield for sure.
*Editor's note - this is per Sunaadh
Mumbai City FC
Coach: Petr Kratky. Won his first ISL trophy last year, but missed out on the league shield in the last game of the season.
Player: Their new captain Lallianzuala Chhangte. Imperious in 2022-23. Started 2023-24 slowly, but became imperious again under Kratky in the second half of the season. More of the same, please.
Strength: The best core of Indian attacking players in the league. Seriously -- Chhangte, Vikram Partap Singh, Brandon Fernandes, how much more riches do you want?
Worry: Have they replaced adequately? Apuia is a massive loss in midfield, and so are Rahul, Bheke, Alberto Noguera Jorge Pereyra Diaz.
W2W4: The partnership between Jon Toral and Nikos Karelis. The Greek striker has already been on record saying Kratky saw them as pivotal to Mumbai City's fortunes. Oh, and their away kit. It's a thing of beauty.
Signing: Brandon Fernandes. India's best creative player has a new home, and he's fitting into a side with some fearsome attacking players.
Prediction: They should challenge for the shield, and that automatically means they will be contenders to defend their ISL Cup as well.
FC Goa
Coach: Manolo Marquez. The headmaster of Indian football. The man who churns out champions. The best coach in India today. FC Goa lost out in the semis last year, Manolo will want to correct that this time.
Player: Armando Sadiku. Need a goal? Call Sadiku. The Albanian striker scored seven goals in FC Goa's 2024 Bandodkar Trophy triumph and is one of the most lethal forwards in the ISL. He scored eight goals in Mohun Bagan's League Shield win last season.
Strength: See, 'coach'.
Worry: FC Goa lost a few of their key players - Noah Sadaoui and Brandon Fernandes - over the summer and the fact that they pretty much have a fresh side could pose a challenge initially.
W2W4: How Sandesh Jhingan shapes up. The big defender has been out of commission since the AFC Asian Cup in January and FC Goa suffered in his absence. Now that he's made a comeback to full fitness, it's time to see if Manolo has his defence marshal back. Oh, and it will be interesting to see how Manolo handles managing Goa and the Indian national team, a first in the ISL.
Signing: Iker Guarrotxena. The Spaniard forward returns to FC Goa, for whom he had netted 11 goals in the 2022-23 season. A brilliant attacking mind, he had left Goa due to personal reasons and then came back to briefly play for Mumbai City last year before trading shores for Goa. He will be instrumental in the attack alongside Sadiku.
Prediction: Will and should finish in among the top four and finish with (at least) one of cup or league shield.
Odisha FC
Coach: Sergio Lobera. Knows what it takes to win, but it's been a while. Will want to remind everyone of his calibre.
Player: Ahmed Jahouh. The on-field Lobera: inseparable from his coach, the Moroccan regista's form very often dictates his team's.
Strength: The Fall-Jahouh-Boumous spine. They're back together now, that OG FC Goa spine that Lobera used to wow the league. Should make for a fun sight with the firepower of Diego Mauricio and Roy Krishna in front of them.
Worry: The Fall-Jahouh-Boumous spine. The first two are getting on in years and slowing down is only natural. The third musketeer hasn't shown his best for a while now.
W2W4: They will be an exciting team, but will they have the consistency needed to challenge at the very top?
Signing: Hugo Boumous. On his day unplayable: a G +A machine that destroys oppositions... but whether Lobera can make that day appear more often than not is key.
Prediction: Lobera's the only coach to have won the ISL double; and if he doesn't have this squad challenging for both come the business end, it'll be a disappointment.
Kerala Blasters
Coach: Ivan Vuko (NEW) Mikael Stahre. Big, big boots to fill and Stahre will need a strong start to do that.
Player: Adrian Luna. The best player in the league**, and Stahre seems to like him in what is really his best position, the #10. As a playmaker he has the rare ability to elevate those around him, and as a goalscorer he can be pretty threatening.
Strength: Adrian Luna: Best. In. League.
Worry: Will the centre-forward options of Jimenez/Peprah/Pandita be enough to cover for Diamantakos' incredible goalscoring? Is central midfield a little too physically weak (especially when most top contenders have some proper muscle in there)?
W2W4: Whether Stahre can build a connect with the fans like his predecessor did. It was a coach-fan-state connect that Indian football had never seen before and that itself makes for a compelling narrative.
Signing: Noah Sadaoui. Fast, direct, full of goals... Sadaoui on the wings with Luna supplying him will be quite the sight.
Prediction: Should make the playoffs. If Luna remains fit, though, and the Luna-Noah connect takes off... anything is possible.
**Editor's note - this is per Anirudh
Chennaiyin FC
Coach: Owen Coyle. Plenty of coaching experience in the league. Helped the team to qualify for the playoffs last season after missing out three times prior.
Player: Forward Daniel Chima Chukwu has reunited with Coyle, under whom he revelled in Jamshedpur FC. Can the coach work his squad around the big Nigerian striker?
Strength: Compared to previous years, there's an overall improvement in the squad depth. Their Indian core is solid, and Coyle has proven track in improving the youngsters.
Worry: It's a season of change for Chennaiyin. In total, 15 players have left the club with 12 new signings coming in. Can Coyle make it work despite so many changes?
W2W4: Kiyan Nassiri holds much promise for Indian football. Can Coyle be the one to unlock it?
Signing: Lukas Brambilla of Brazil has been signed to add creative flair to the team. Coyle will hope for both goals and assists from Brambillla.
Prediction: Chennaiyin will qualify for the playoffs, but a tilt at either shield or cup looks beyond them at this point.
NorthEast United FC
Coach: Juan Benali. There was promise last season, and now that NEUFC have given their man some time, he seems to have drilled a very interesting side into being.
Player: MS Jithin. Tremendous in the Durand Cup with his direct running and sound decision making... he'll want to prove that was no flash in the pan.
Strength: An exciting forward line that has different strengths that seem to complement each other.
Worry: Depth in squad. The Durand Cup promised much, but it also highlighted how tough this would be for Benali -- an injury or two to a key player and they could struggle to maintain their level.
W2W4: Can the promise of the cup run be extended across the much more arduous league season?
Signing: Guillermo Fernandez. Big, mobile, goal-hungry: the kind of striker no centre-back is ever comfortable facing. Fernandez's hold-up play and physical presence also opens up space for the other tricky forwards the squad is filled with.
Prediction: Will be in the fight to make the playoffs. If they do, they can make a real run for the Cup.
Punjab FC
Coach: (NEW) Panagiotis Dilmperis. The Greek, a goalkeeper turned coach, is managing his first Asian club. Has a young squad [average age of 24.2] to work with and showed an attacking brand of football in his side's run to the Durand Cup quarters and will need a lot more of that to fight against the traditional heavyweights.
Player: Luka Majcen. Punjab FC's knight in shining armour. Has won three titles in his four years in India, including the I-League title with Punjab FC in 2022-2023. Scored eight of Punjab's 28 goals last season and will continue to shoulder the scoring duties.
Strength: Dilmperis is someone who gets the best out of young players and he did not shy away from playing the likes of Nihal Sudeesh and Ashis Pradhan in the Durand Cup. If Dilmperis can continue this brave approach, Punjab FC could very well spring up a surprise after falling just short last season.
Worry: That they just might lack that extra firepower in their squad to realistically fight for a playoff spot.
W2W4: How Majcen and Vinit combine. Majcen had a good partnership with Madih Talal and Wilmar Jordan Gil last season but since both have left, he will look to form a connection with Vinit in midfield
Signing: Vinit Rai. Comes with a lot of experience, having played for Odisha FC and Mumbai City FC. Won both the ISL Shield and the ISL Cup with Mumbai City and has also played in the AFC Champions League. A very useful addition in midfield.
Prediction: It will not be a shocker if they don't make the top 6.
East Bengal
Coach: Carles Cuadrat. Broke the club's long-standing trophy drought with the Super Cup victory last season, but ISL form was insipid.
Player: Dimitrios Diamantakos. Last season's ISL Golden Boot winner has moved to Kolkata as Cuadrat looks to add goals to a side that scored the third-lowest last season.
Strength: Potentially, their no.9 and no.10. If Diamantakos and Madih Talal strike up an understanding, that could be the partnership which takes East Bengal to the playoffs.
Worry: The defence. It's not usual to say this about a Cuadrat team, but they didn't look particularly compact or well set up during the Durand Cup.
W2W4: What happens to Anwar Ali? The AIFF's Player Status Committee has ruled for a four-month ban to the centre-back, but what comes of the appeal could be a defining factor of East Bengal's season.
Signing: Anwar. The national team centre-back whisked away from their biggest rivals. A massive coup for them.
Prediction: Won't win the shield, will be in contention for the playoffs, and should make it.
Bengaluru FC
Coach: Gerard Zaragoza. He was appointed midway into the previous season after the departure of Simon Grayson, but it didn't change the fortunes for the club much on the pitch
Player: Jorge Pereyra Diaz. Signed by the club after prolific seasons in the ISL, BFC will he hope he's answer to the club's biggest problem last season: scoring goals.
Strength: A good transfer window has seen them bolster their squad considerably: Apart from Diaz, there's winger Edgar Mendez from Club Necaxa in Liga MX, Alberto Noguera and Rahul Bheke from Mumbai City FC.
Worry: Goals. Only Hyderabad had fewer goals than BFC last season, and they don't really count. How Zaragoza makes the best of his forwards (especially Diaz, Chhetri, and Sivasakthi) will be key to any progress.
W2W4: Sunil Chhetri. Having retired from the national team ahead of this season, all eyes will be on Chhetri whenever he takes the field.
Signing: Bheke returns to the club where he had his best days as a footballer, including scoring the goal which won them the 2019 ISL Cup. His reading of the game, leadership qualities and the connection with fans will certainly help the team.
Prediction: Challenging for the ISL Shield is a tough one for them but will be in contention for the playoffs.
Jamshedpur FC
Coach: Khalid Jamil. The man who works miracles with a low budget and young Indian players. Perfect for a Jamshedpur FC relying on Tata Football Academy products.
Player: Javi Hernandez. Signed as a replacement for the Mumbai-bound Jeremy Manzorro, Javi will bring goals and assists to a Jamshedpur side that needs it. His age (35) may be an issue for the high-energy style Jamil prefers.
Strength: It's a Khalid Jamil side - they'll be compact and use their flanks well. Expect Mo Sanan and Imran Khan to shine again - with Aniket Jadhav also raring to burst down the wings.
Worry: The squad seems a bit thin on international quality and backup beyond the first XI. Daniel Chima Chukwu's departure may hurt a fair bit.
W2W4: The returning JFC contingent - Jordan Murray, Stephen Eze, Jadhav - come back hungry and with plenty to prove. There's no one better at motivating players with a chip on their shoulder than Jamil.
Signing: Jordan Murray. While not the most prolific forward, Murray's combination of pace and fight has seen him score some key goals. If JFC are able to keep things tight, the Jordan-Javi 1-2 punch may sneak plenty of wins for Jamil.
Prediction: Will fight for playoff spots, but are likely to miss out.
Hyderabad FC***
Coach: Thangboi Singto. Has stuck around through massive uncertainty at the club, now deserves a full season at the helm (and payments on time).
Player: Alex Saji. The defender had interest from all the big teams, but has eventually stayed at Hyderabad. It's a big show of faith in the club.
Strength: A good group of Indian players with a point to prove could result in a team with a fire in their collective belly.
Worry: How little they've trained together, compared to the other teams in the ISL. At the end of August, they barely had a squad. So this is all a bit hastily assembled, albeit not too shabbily.
W2W4: Whether they can bring the crowds back to Hyderabad for reasons other than staff holding up banners asking to get paid.
Signing: Saviour Gama and Devendra Murgaonkar came through as precocious talents at FC Goa. Both are wonderfully talented, and Hyderabad this season might provide them the platform to show it, in the form of uninterrupted ISL minutes.
Prediction: Won't make the playoffs, but will hope to start a rebuild that bears fruit over the next couple of seasons.
***Editor's note - subject to change with the new management still announcing signings.
Mohammedan SC
Coach: Andrey Chernyshov. The experienced Russian masterminded a superb I-League winning campaign last year, but might be knee-capped this year.
Player: Alexis Gomes. Mohammedan's assist leader in 2023-24, the Argentinian's set-piece delivery proved crucial for a side that were the fifth-highest scorers in the I-League last season.
Strength: : Chernyshov loves a well-drilled, physical defensive setup. It's the perfect platform for South American flair up-front.
Worry: The departure of top-scorer from last year, Eddie Hernandez, as well that of highly-rated David Lalhlalsanga leaves a 20-goal sized hole in their squad. Quality of Indians in the squad also questionable
W2W4: Franca. The journeyman Brazilian has a YouTube sizzle reel with all the right things for a right winger - pace, tricky feet and a pinpoint cross. And a surprisingly happy knack of scoring with his head from set-pieces.
Signing: The fortunes of Cesar Manzoki from Zaire will be crucial in determining Mohammedan's fortunes, as the centre-forward didn't score in 10 appearances in the UAE Pro League last year. Replacing Hernandez will be a tall ask.
Prediction: It's hard to have a definitive opinion given their lack of truly competitive games against ISL opposition, but at first glance Mohammedan SC seem destined to fight to stay away from the bottom.