The Indian football champions are the winners of the highest tier of the Indian football league system, currently the Indian Super League.
Though Indian football tournaments date back to the eighteenth century, a proper league system, the National Football League (NFL) was established in 1996âÂÂ97. After the 2006âÂÂ07 season, the NFL was rebranded, becoming the I-League with its champions continuing to be considered national champions until 2017, when the Indian Super League (ISL) became the country's joint premier football league. In 2022, ISL became the only top-tier football league of the country. ISL playoffs winners were considered as ISL champions until 2021âÂÂ22 season. From 2022 to 2023 season, ISL champions designation was awarded to the table toppers.
There are 12 clubs who have won either the National Football League or the I-League, and six clubs who have won the Indian Super League. JCT were the first club to have won any championship, winning the 1996âÂÂ97 NFL. Mohun Bagan are the most successful club, winning championships seven times, NFL three times, I-League twice and ISL twice.
The first Indian football league, the National Football League (NFL) was an association football league competition in India which was organised into three divisions. The Premier Division of the league was first introduced in 1996, though the country already had a long history in the sport thanks to the likes of the IFA Shield and the Federation Cup. The league though is now transformed into the I-League and continues with that name. The change was supposed to bring more popularity to Indian Football. The first league season of I-League consisted of eight teams from the NFL plus two promoted teams from the former Division Two.
The 1996âÂÂ97 Indian National Football League was the first season of the NFL and ended with JCT Mills FC being crowned champions. The NFL era though saw Kolkata clubs East Bengal and Mohun Bagan had the most championships with three respectively. The I-League era is different though as most of the champions of the league have come from Goa.
Currently, the team with the most championships in I-League is Dempo who have won three championships in the league.
In 2014, a new football league named Indian Super League has started. In its first three seasons it was running without recognition from the AFC. Before 2017âÂÂ18 season, ISL got recognition from Asian Football Confederation (AFC). In July 2017, it was proposed by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) that the Indian Super League champion be granted a spot in the AFC Cup, Asia's second-tier club competition. On 25 July 2017, the AFC approved the AIFF's proposal. Thus, from the 2017âÂÂ18 season, the Indian Super League champions were allowed to participate in the AFC Cup from the qualification stages of the competition. Meanwhile, India's spot in the AFC Champions League, Asia's top club competition, was still kept by the I-League; thus two leagues were parallelly running in the country. In October 2019, a roadmap for development of league in India was proposed. All stakeholders accepted the proposal where it was announced that ISL premiers would now be entitled to the AFC Champions League, starting from 2021 edition and the I-League champion will get to play the AFC Cup. From 2022 to 2023 season the AFC Cup slot from I-League has been transferred to Super Cup and ISL became the only top tier League in India.
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From the 2017âÂÂ18 season until the 2021âÂÂ22 season, the I-League and the Indian Super League shared joint top-tier status in the Indian football league system.
Until the 2021âÂÂ22 season, the winners of the Indian Super League playoffs final were awarded the championship title.
Sixteen clubs have won India's top-tier league title. Six clubs won the National Football League (1996âÂÂ2007), six clubs won the I-League, and six clubs have won the Indian Super League. From the 2017âÂÂ18 season until the 2021âÂÂ22 season, the I-League and Indian Super League shared joint top-tier status in the Indian football league system.
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