The 2020-21 ISL season is going to be the most competitive

 Since its inaugural edition in 2014, the Indian Super League (ISL) has gone from strength to strength, with the quality of football and fanfare increasing exponentially. In fact, the competitiveness of the tournament has showcased such an upward trajectory that the identity of the semi-finalists usually boils down to the final few fixtures of the league phases. 

And, that trend continued last season as well when Chennaiyin FC narrowly pipped Mumbai City FC to make the ISL semi-final. To put things into perspective, the Marina Machans had been languishing at the bottom at the half-way mark, before Owen Coyle mounted a comeback of gargantuan proportions. In the process, the Chennai-based outfit highlighted the thrilling and the competitive nature of the ISL. 

A few days before the Islanders play their opening 2020-21 ISL encounter against NorthEast United FC, the Spaniard was quick to point out the ebbs and flows the ISL entails and how he expects the upcoming campaign to be the toughest ever.

Having said that, plenty of football enthusiasts have earmarked Mumbai City FC as favourites for the ISL title, courtesy the plethora of talented individuals in their ranks and the fact that they have arguably the most astute manager in the ISL. Sergio Lobera though, was swift in swatting aside those claims, explaining that the Islanders only wanted to concentrate on what they could do best, rather than concerning themselves with things that are out of their control.

“I want to respect all teams in the ISL and I think we need to work a lot and hopefully, we can work in this way and at the end of the season, we can be happy with our jobs. My focus and our dream is to work hard and to try to finish in the best possible position,” he added.

Last term, Mumbai City FC had the wood over the Highlanders, with the former collecting four points out of a possible six. While the Islanders drew 2-2 in Guwahati, the 2018-19 semi-finalists got the better of NorthEast United FC (1-0) at the Mumbai Football Arena. However, Sergio Lobera emphasized that past ISL contests might not play any role when the two sides clash on Saturday, for the past rarely shapes the future.