Jamshedpur Football Club will play their first home match under Indian Super league at the renovated JRD Tata Sports Complex Stadium against title holders Atlético de Kolkata (ATK) on December 1. The stadium has a capacity of 30,000 with greens, measuring 102m by 67m. As per the plans the flood lights will also go hi-tech with high visibility.
An official went on to inform that Indian Super league, football league will kick-off with a clash between arch rivals and Season 3 champions ATK and runners-up Kerala Blasters FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (Salt lake Stadium) in Kolkata on November 17.
The clash between two-time champions ATK and Kerala Blasters FC in the opener will also bring the seasoned rivalry between Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov from Europe to Indian soil.
Hero ISl 2017-18 will see 10 teams in action this season, with the addition of Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC, which will result in a prolonged season lasting four months for the first time.
All 10 teams play each other in a home-and-away format in 90 games before the two-legged semi-finals which are scheduled to take place in the second week of March. Date and venue for the Final of the 2017-18 season will be announced later.
The season’s first double-header will see a repeat of the 2016 Final between Chennaiyin FC and FC Goa in Chennai followed by AFC Cup 2016 finalist, Bengaluru FC, getting their first taste of Hero ISl when they take on last season’s semi-finalists Mumbai City FC in a home match at Sree Kanteerava Stadium on Sunday, 19th November. The highlight of the day will undoubtedly be India captain, Sunil Chhetri taking on his previous club for the first time.
The season’s first Maharashtra derby between FC Pune City and Mumbai City FC will be played on November 29, 2017 at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium, Pune.