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AIFF Media Team
NEW DELHI: It may not be wrong to perhaps find Hero I-League as a synonym of riveting. Not many top-flight professional leagues come to mind when a last day finish decides the Champions. But for Hero I-League, India’s top flight, it has become a regular fashion to produce a stunning climax time and again for the fans to get enthralled.
With a rise of more than 58% in-stadia attendance last season, the Hero I-League has gifted four last day climaxes in the last five seasons. The spotlight has all been on the champions, and mind you, a new champion has emerged every time in the last four seasons.
The 2014-15 season of the Hero I-League saw Mohun Bagan end their dry run and lift the Hero I-League for the very first time. On the final day, the title race was locked between JSW Bengaluru FC, and the Kolkata outfit with the former needing a win to pip the latter.
JSW Bengaluru FC were on their way to be crowned Champions but Bello Razzaq’s late header equalised to end proceedings at 1-1. Bagan were the new champions of India with 39 points, while Bengaluru FC trailed at 37 as Bagan celebrated with the trophy in front of BFC fans.
An unexpected twist in the history of the Hero I-League awaited the next season in the 2016-17 season when underdogs Aizawl FC, did a Leicester City to upset all, and win the trophy.
The title race in that season also went down to the final day with Aizawl FC just a point against Shillong Lajong. Hot on the heels were Mohun Bagan, but that mattered little to Kahild Jamil and his men who played a 1-1 draw finishing on 37 points to take away the coveted trophy. Bagan finished runners-up with a point adrift.
The title race became ever more interesting in the 2017-18 season when four teams were in contention to lift the Hero trophy on the last day – Minerva Punjab FC, Neroca FC, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.
The season also saw newly promoted from the 2ND Division Neroca FC give a run of their money to all the heavyweights. However, it was Minerva Punjab FC who made the most on the final day to be crowned Champions.
This season, Chennai City FC were running away with the title but a resurgence by Quess East Bengal, and uncanny results for the Chennai outfit led the Hero I-League title to be decided on the last day. The rest, as they say is history.
With 4 title races being decided on the last day, and new champions being crowned in the last 5 seasons, the Hero I-League has tantalized fans, and given a climax better than any movie for all neutrals. It has kept up hopes, expectations high and above all, has maintained and taken euphoria of the fans to extreme levels.