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I-League: Season's first Kolkata Derby to take place in December

The intensity and anticipation for the game between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan is from a whole another world due to the long-standing rivalry between the two Kolkata giants.

Bengaluru, October 22: Amid all the confusion over the fixture list of the 2017-18 edition of the I-League, reports are emerging that the top division Indian football league will kick off simultaneously with the 2017-18 Indian Super League season, on November 16th or 17th, according to leading media houses.

The fixture everybody waits for whenever the fixture list is out is the Kolkata Derby. The intensity and anticipation for the game between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan is from a whole another world due to the long-standing rivalry between the two Kolkata giants.

The first Kolkata Derby in the I-League is expected to take place in the first week of December.

While the original schedule for the 2017-18 season which was handed to the clubs by the organisers was not found fit for purpose by clubs like East Bengal, Shillong Lajong and Chennai City FC, the revamped schedule might see the I-League 2017-18 kick-off taking place on the very same day as the ISL 2017-18 kick-off.

The Indian Super League kicks off on 17th November and reports suggest that the I-League should also start around 16th or 17th November.

The FIFA international transfer window runs from 6th to 14th November hence any idea of the I-League starting in the middle of that period has been met with stern opposition by a few clubs.

Should the I-League start in mid-November, the first match of the season between fierce Kolkata rivals Mohun Bagan and East Bengal is tentatively to be held in the first week of December, probably 2nd December.

East Bengal have not won the National League since 2004 whereas Mohun Bagan were very close to winning it last season. Both sides have bigger chances of winning the silverware this campaign with giants Bengaluru FC opting for ISL.

Story first published: Sunday, October 22, 2017, 12:58 [IST]
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