The 123rd season of Calcutta Football League (CFL) will begin on Tuesday, August 17 and will run until the first week of October 2021.

In July 2021, the Indian Football Association (IFA) announced two groups for the CFL 2021-22 season with each group comprising seven teams. Rivals ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have been drafted in different groups. 

The oldest football league Asia, CFL was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and this year’s edition will be played behind closed doors. Defending champions Peerless Sports Club will kick start the campaign with a home game against Kidderpore on August 17. The group stages will run until September 6 before the competition will move to the knockout stage.

The tournament will be played across six different venues, namely, Mohun Bagan/CFC Stadium, Kalyani Stadium, R. Sarobar Stadium, Howrah Stadium, Md. Sporting/How. Un. Stadium and Naihati Stadium.

Calcutta Football League rules and format

In what will be a round-robin format, CPL 2021-22 will see each team playing an opponent once in the group stage. Teams finishing in the top three spots from each group will qualify for the quarter-finals. The remaining four teams from each group will then play each other once in an elimination for the last two quarter-finals spots. 

Unlike the previous editions where the IFA only allowed four foreign players per team, the national body has increased the number to six this year. However, note that only two foreign players can be named in the starting XI.

Furthermore, the 2021-22 CPL season will have no relegation given that the lower division competitions are likely to be cancelled. 

Calcutta Football League teams and groups

CPL 2021-22 will have a total of 14 teams competing against each other. As mentioned, the teams are bifurcated into two groups .

Group A: Bhawanipore, BSS Sporting Club (BSS), East Bengal, Mohammedan, Railway, Southern Samity, United Sports Club

Group B: Aryan Football Club, ATK Mohun Bagan, Calcutta Customs, George Telegraph, Kidderpore, Peerless, Tollygunge Agragami Football Club

Calcutta Football League schedule and fixtures

Tuesday, August 17 

Peerless vs Kidderpore (Group B)

Wednesday, August 18 

BSS vs Railway (Group A)

Southern Samity vs Mohammedan (Group A)

Aryan vs Tollygunge Agragami (Group B)

Friday, August 20 

Bhawanipore vs United (Group A)

Saturday, August 21 

Aryan vs Calcutta Customs (Group B)

Tollygunge Agragami vs George Telegraph (Group B)

Sunday, August 22 

Southern Samity vs Railway (Group A)

Tuesday, August 24 

Bhawanipore vs East Bengal (Group B)

Wednesday, August 25 

Aryan vs Peerless (Group B)

Tollygunge Agragami vs Calcutta Customs (Group B)

Thursday, August 26 

George Telegraph vs Kidderpore (Group B)

Friday, August 27 

Bhawanipore vs BSS (Group A)

Saturday, August 28 

East Bengal vs Mohammedan (Group A)

Sunday, August 29 

ATK Mohun Bagan vs George Telegraph (Group B)

Monday, August 30 

Bhawanipore vs Railway (Group A)

Southern Samity vs BSS (Group A)

Tuesday, August 31 

East Bengal vs United (Group A)

Wednesday, September 1 

ATK Mohun Bagan vs Kidderpore (Group B)

Thursday, September 2 

Mohammedan vs Railway (Group A)

Saturday, September 4 

East Bengal vs BSS (Group A)

Aryan vs Kidderpore (Group B)

George Telegraph vs Calcutta Customs (Group B)

Sunday, September 5 

ATK Mohun Bagan vs Peerless (Group B)

Monday, September 6 

Mohammedan vs United (Group A)

Below are the fixtures whose dates are yet to be finalised:

Bhawanipore Club vs Mohammedan

Southern Samity vs United SC

Aryan Club vs George Telegraph

Mohun Bagan vs Calcutta Customs

Tollygunge Agragami vs Peerless SC

East Bengal vs Railway FC

Bhawanipore Club vs Southern Samity

BSS SC vs United SC

Aryan Club vs Mohun Bagan

Tollygunge Agragami vs Kidderpore SC

Peerless SC vs Calcutta Customs

East Bengal vs Southern Samity

Mohammedan vs BSS SC

Railway FC vs United SC

Tollygunge Agragami vs Mohun Bagan

George Telegraph vs Peerless SC

Kidderpore SC vs Calcutta Customs

Featured photo: Twitter / ATKMB