Kerala Blasters FC

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Kerala Blasters FC.svg
Full name Kerala Blasters Football Club
Short name KBFC
Founded 27 May 2014; 3 years ago (2014-05-27)[1]
Stadium Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi)
Ground Capacity 75,000[2]
Owner(s) Sachin Tendulkar
Chiranjeevi
Akkineni Nagarjuna
Allu Aravind
Nimmagadda Prasad
Manager René Meulensteen
League Indian Super League
2016 Regular season: 2nd
Finals: Runners-up
Website Club home page
Current season

Kerala Blasters Football Club (commonly abbreviated as KBFC) is an Indian professional football franchise based in Kochi, Kerala that competes in the Indian Super League. The team was founded on 27 May 2014 by former Indian cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar as one of the initial teams in the Indian Super League, after Tendulkar, along with Prasad V Potluri, won the rights to the Kochi franchise.[1] Prasad V Potluri sold his shares to a consortium including Telugu actors Chiranjeevi and Akkineni Nagarjuna. The team's home stadium is currently the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.[3]

The Kerala Blasters played their inaugural match on 13 October 2014, losing 0–1 to NorthEast United at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium.[5] The semi-final match between the Kerala Blasters and Chennaiyin managed to draw 61,323 people to the ground, making it the second most attended game of the season, behind the inaugural ISL game between Atlético de Kolkata and Mumbai City[6]

During their inaugural season, the Kerala Blasters managed to make it all the way to the ISL final where they faced Atlético de Kolkata at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. After ninety minutes of action, it was Atlético de Kolkata who came out as the 1–0 winners after Mohammed Rafique scored the winner in the 95th minute.[7]

History[edit]

Inception[edit]

In early 2014, it was announced that the All India Football Federation, the national federation for football in India, and IMG–Reliance would be accepting bids for ownership of eight of the nine selected cities for the inaugural Indian Super League (ISL), a franchise tournament modelled along the lines of the Indian Premier League for cricket.[8] On 13 April 2014 it was announced that the rights to the Kochi franchise were won by former India cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar and serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and educationalist Prasad V Potluri.[9] Then, on 27 May 2014, the team's official name was unveiled as the 'Kerala Blasters FC' which is based on the nickname of co-owner Tendulkar, the "Master Blaster".[1]

Construction of the team for the first season started on 22 July when the Kerala Blasters, along with the other seven franchises, took part in the domestic draft to select the first fourteen Indian players in each team.[10] India international Mehtab Hossain was the first draft pick made by Kerala Blasters and thus the first player in Kerala Blasters history.[11] At the end of the draft, the Blasters were composed of fourteen players, including Hossain: Avinabo Bag, Sandip Nandy, Chinadorai Sabeeth, Luis Barreto, Milagres Gonsalves, Ramandeep Singh, Renedy Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, Ishfaq Ahmed, Gurwinder Singh, Nirmal Chettri, Sushanth Mathew, and Godwin Franco.[12]

On 13 August 2014, former England international goalkeeper David James was announced as the first head coach of the Kerala Blasters and the first marquee player in team history, thus coming in as a player-head coach.[13] Then, on 21 August 2014, the team participated in the international draft in which each team selected seven foreign players to join their team.[14] Former Newcastle United forward Michael Chopra was the first foreign player drafted by the Kerala Blasters.[15]

The team also picked up Local Talent Duleep Menon for the inaugural season of ISL.

2014 (Inaugural season)[edit]

David James was Kerala's manager and marquee player in their first season. The Kerala Blasters played their first ever match away from home on 13 October 2014 against NorthEast United at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium. A Koke goal in the 45th minute saw the Blasters lose their inaugural match 0–1.[5] The team's second match saw the first goal scored in Kerala Blasters history by Canadian international Iain Hume but it could not prevent the team from losing to Chennaiyin 1–2.[16] It took the Kerala Blasters till their fourth game to get their first victory when they took on Pune City. Goals from Chinadorai Sabeeth and Penn Orji led the Blasters to a come from behind 2–1 victory.[17]

After starting the season with a five-game away run, the Kerala Blasters played their first home match on 6 November 2014 against Goa. A Milagres Gonsalves goal led the Blasters to a home-debut 1–0 victory over the Goans in front of 49,517 fans at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.[18] The Kerala Blasters managed to book their spot into the finals on 9 December 2014. A 1–0 victory of Pune City ensured the Blasters of qualification.[19]

The Kerala Blasters played their first finals match on 13 December 2014 against southern rivals Chennaiyin. Despite not being considered the favourite to win the two-legged tie out of the two, Blasters won the first leg at home in emphatic fashion with a 3–0 score through goals from Ishfaq Ahmed, Iain Hume, and Sushanth Mathew.[20] In the second leg, in Chennai, the Kerala Blasters suffered a massive scare. Despite going into the second leg with the 3–0 advantage, Chennaiyin managed to draw the tie level by winning in regular time 3–0 themselves. However, in extra-time, the Kerala Blasters managed to strike back and score the decisive goal in the 117th minute from Stephen Pearson to win the tie 4–3 and thus enter the final.[21]

In the final, the Kerala Blasters took on Atlético de Kolkata at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. Despite holding on for ninety minutes, it was Atlético de Kolkata that came out on top with a Mohammed Rafique goal in the 95th minute earning the Kolkata side the title with a 1–0 victory.[22]

2015 season[edit]

After the 2014 season, it was announced that David James would not be returning the team as head coach and that former England U20 head coach Peter Taylor would take over.[23] With the departure of James, the Blasters also needed to make a new marquee player signing. In August, it was announced that former Spanish international Carlos Marchena would be signed as the new marquee for the club.[24] As well as Marchena, in anticipation for the 2015 season, the Kerala Blasters also managed to sign former Premier League players Peter Ramage, Stephen Bywater, Bruno Perone, and Sanchez Watt while also signing former Benfica player João Coimbra.[25] The only foreign player retained by the team was the fan favourite Pulga (footballer).

Taylor was sacked after Kerala achieved only one win from their opening six games, to be replaced by Irishman Terry Phelan. On 4 November, after playing only once, Marchena left the team due to personal reasons, and the team entered negotiations to recruit Scottish forward James McFadden as a replacement.[26]

2016 season[edit]

After the 2015 season, Steve Coppell was announced as head coach of Kerala Blasters. In order to encourage local talents, former Indian International N P Pradeep was announced as the official Scout. On 28 July, the team brought in Northern Ireland national team international defender Aaron Hughes as their new marquee player.[27] Kerala blasters qualified for semi-final on 4 December 2016, winning against NorthEast United FC and finished second in league table. Blasters entered finals of the season winning against Delhi Dynamos FC in the semi finals.But lost against Atlético de Kolkata(1-1) in penalty shoot (3-4) on their home ground. Kerala Blasters FC holds the record of winning most consecutive home wins(6) at their home stadium kochi.

[edit]

The official logo of the Kerala Blasters was unveiled on 15 September 2014. The logo, designed by Brash Brands, is built along the lines of the culture of Kerala by using the elephant, reflecting the pride of the state.[28] Along with the elephant is a football which is being cradled by the elephant. Describing the logo, co-owner Prasad V Potluri, said "The logo reflects the cultural and sporting legacy of Kerala symbolized by the elephant. The elephant is a symbol of strength and pride, rooted in its family and community, reflecting the aspiration and spirit of Kerala Blasters."[28]

Sponsors[edit]

Along with the logo, the official home kit of the Kerala Blasters was also unveiled on 15 September 2014. The kit, designed by German company Puma,[29] features a yellow home jersey with blue shorts.[28] The Muthoot Pappachan Group meanwhile feature on the Kerala Blasters shirt as title sponsor for the team.[30] Mobile wallet service provider Oxygen has partnered with Kerala Blasters Football Club as their official payments solution sponsor. Aster Medcity is the Official "Health and Wellness Partner" of Kerala Blasters FC. Sportico is the official facilities partner.

In 2016 season main sponsors were announced as Kalyan Jewellers,Prime Meridian, Quaker,Spartan and Livguard.

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2014–2016 Puma Muthoot
2016–2017 Spartan

Stadium[edit]

The Nehru Stadium.
The Jawhaharlal Nehru Stadium, home to the Kerala Blasters
Main article: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi)

The Kerala Blasters currently play their home games at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.[3] The Jawaharlal Nehru

Panoramic view of the stadium during a match

Stadium, also known as the Kaloor International Stadium, is a multipurpose stadium, playing host to both football and cricket.[31] The stadium was built in 1996 by the Government of Kerala with Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA). Initially, the stadium was going to host the Kerala Blasters' first match on 15 October 2014 but the home opener

had to be delayed to the next month, on 6 November 2014, after the stadium owners, the Greater Cochin Development Authority, gave permission to the Kerala Cricket Association to host an ODI cricket match between India and the West Indies

.[31] To prepare for the home opener the Blasters, with the help of the Kerala Football Association, replaced the three cricket pitches with fresh-made Bermuda grass being installed in their place.[31]

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium usually holds a capacity ranging from 60,000[32] to 75,000.[33]

For Indian Super League matches though the capacity was listed officially as 60,500.[3]

Players and Staff[edit]

Current Squad[edit]

As of 8 July, 2017[34]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
India DF Sandesh Jhingan
India FW C.K. Vineeth
India FW Prasanth Karuthadathkuni
India DF Jishnu Balakrishnan
India FW Sahal Abdul Samad

[needs update]

Current Technical Staff[edit]

As of 6 july 2017[35]
Position Name
Head coach Netherlands René Meulensteen
Assistant coach India Thangboi Singto
Goalkeeping coach Shihab (chingab)

Statistics and Records[edit]

Most Appearances[edit]

As of 18 December 2016
# Name Apps
1 India Sandesh Jhingan 41
2 India Mehtab Hossain 38
3 France Cédric Hengbart 30
4 Spain Josu 25
5 India Ishfaq Ahmed 25

[36] [37] [38]

Most Goals[edit]

As of 18 December 2016
# Name Goals
1 England Chris Dagnall 6
2 India Mohammed Rafi 6
3 England Antonio German 6
4 India C.K. Vineeth 5
5 Canada Iain Hume 5

[39] [40] [41]

Season Summary[edit]

As of 17 December 2016
Year ISL Regular season Finals Top Scorer(s)
P W D L GF GA Pts Pos. Player(s) Goals
2014 14 5 4 5 9 11 19 4th Runner-up Canada Iain Hume 5
2015 14 3 4 7 22 27 13 8th DNQ England Antonio German
England Chris Dagnall		 6
2016 14 6 4 4 12 14 22 2nd Runner-up IndiaC.K.Vineeth 5

[42]

Other Statistics[edit]

Managers and Marquee Players[edit]

Managerial Record[edit]

As of 18 December 2016
Ex-Manager Steve Coppell
Name Nationality From To P W D L GF GA Win%
David James  England 13 August 2014 20 December 2014 17 6 4 7 13 15 035.29
Peter Taylor  England 9 May 2015 28 October 2015 6 1 1 4 7 9 016.67
Trevor Morgan (caretaker)  England 28 October 2015 1 November 2015 1 0 1 0 1 1 000.00
Terry Phelan  Ireland 1 November 2015 20 December 2015 7 2 2 3 14 17 028.57
Steve Coppell  England 21 June 2016 11 July 2017 17 7 4 6 16 18 041.18
René Meulensteen  Netherlands 15 July 2017 0 0 0 0 0 0 !—

Marquee Players[edit]

Ex-Marquee Player Aaron Hughes
Season Name Apps Goals
2014 England David James 12 0
2015 Spain Carlos Marchena 1 0
2016 Northern Ireland Aaron Hughes 11 1

Average Home Stadium Attendances[edit]

Kerala Blasters has achieved an average home attendance of 52,008 per match in 2015 season of their domestic league, and is inducted in the second place in list of top 10 non-European football clubs with the highest average attendances.[citation needed] Kerala Blasters FC is the 11'th best football club in world by Average Stadium attendances of Football clubs, ahead of the popular clubs Newcastle United F.C., Atlético Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Manchester City F.C., Liverpool F.C., Valencia CF, Chelsea F.C. etc.[citation needed] Kerala Blasters FC is on first position in average home attendance among football clubs in Asia.[citation needed]

As of 18 December 2016
Season Matches Total High Low Average Source
2014 8 3,92,886 61,323 34,657 49,111 [43]
2015 7 3,64,054 62,013 32,313 52,008 [44]
2016 9 4,46,087 54,913 34,196 49,565 [45]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Indian Super League: Sachin Tendulkar names his football team 'Kerala Blasters'". DNA India. 27 May 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  2. ^ "Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium - Kerala Blasters - Football Tripper". footballtripper.com. 23 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2017. 
  3. ^ a b c d "Ticket sales open for Kerala Blasters’ inaugural home match in Kochi". Indian Super League. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  4. ^ "PARKS AND OPEN SPACES". GCDA-Greater Cochin Development Authority. 
  5. ^ a b "ISL: NorthEast United FC beat Kerala Blasters 1-0". Times of India. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  6. ^ Tony, Antony (13 December 2015). "12th Man Awes Blasters". New Indian Express. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  7. ^ Iyer, Krishnan (20 December 2015). "ISL 2014 Final: Mohammed Rafi's late header helps Atletico de Kolkata become the first champions". India.com. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  8. ^ "Indian Super League sees interest from 30 franchise bidders". Business-Standard. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  9. ^ Basu, Saumyajit (13 April 2014). "Stars embrace soccer through Indian Super League". Times of India. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  10. ^ Mergulhao, Marcus (19 July 2014). "ISL domestic draft to include 40 national players". Times of India. Retrieved 18 January 2014. 
  11. ^ Thaly, Dattaraj (13 October 2014). "ISL: Mehtab Hossain key to success of Kerala Blasters". Zee News. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  12. ^ "Indian players’ draft process ends". The Hindu. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  13. ^ Mergulhao, Marcus (20 August 2014). "David James set to have a blast with Sachin Tendulkar in ISL". Times of India. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  14. ^ Mergulhao, Marcus (14 August 2014). "ISL: Draft for overseas players on August 21". Times of India. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  15. ^ "Michael Chopra, Bernard Mendy Star Picks in Indian Super League Draft". NDTV Sports. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  16. ^ "Live Blog: Chennaiyin FC beat Kerala Blasters 2-1". Times of India. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  17. ^ Jitendran, Nikhil (30 October 2014). "FC Pune City 1-2 Kerala Blasters: James’ side picks their first win". Goal.com. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  18. ^ "Kerala Blasters 1-0 FC Goa". Indian Super League. Retrieved 18 January 2015. 
  19. ^ "ISL: Kerala beat Pune 1-0, book semifinal spot". Times of India. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015. 
  20. ^ "ISL: Kerala Blasters Beat Chennaiyin FC 3-0". New Indian Express. 14 December 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015. 
  21. ^ "Kerala Blasters FC Beat Chennaiyin FC 4-3 to Advance to ISL Final". New Indian Express. 16 December 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015. 
  22. ^ "ISL: Atletico de Kolkata beat Kerala Blasters 1-0 to win title". Times of India. 20 December 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2015. 
  23. ^ "Kerala Blasters appoint Peter Taylor as marquee manager". Times of India. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015. 
  24. ^ "Indian Super League: Marchena for Blasters". The Hindu. 1 August 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015. 
  25. ^ Jitendran, Nikhil (17 September 2015). "Tendulkar: 'Kerala Blasters is happy but not satisfied with their performance'". Goal.com. Retrieved 21 September 2015. 
  26. ^ "Kerala Blasters Marquee Player Carlos Marchena Leaves Club". NDTV Sports. 4 November 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015. 
  27. ^ "Twitter". mobile.twitter.com. Retrieved 16 June 2017. 
  28. ^ a b c "Indian Super League: Sachin Tendulkar's Kerala Blasters Unveil Logo". NDTV Sports. 15 September 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2015. 
  29. ^ Antony, Toby (6 November 2014). "Come on Kerala, Let's football!". Retrieved 22 January 2015. 
  30. ^ Sanandakumar, S (29 September 2014). "Muthoot Pappachan Group bags title sponsorship of Kerala Blasters FC". Economic Times. Retrieved 22 January 2015. 
  31. ^ a b c Jitendran, Nikhil (21 August 2014). "KCA - KFA catfight over Nehru Stadium in Kochi". Goal.com. Retrieved 22 January 2015. 
  32. ^ "Nehru Stadium". ESPN CricInfo. Retrieved 22 January 2015. 
  33. ^ "Indian Super League Gets Big Boost as Football Fans Return to Stadia". NDTV Sports. Retrieved 22 January 2015. 
  34. ^ "Players". Indian Super League. Retrieved 8 September 2016. 
  35. ^ "Kerala Blasters announces final squad for Indian Super League 2016". Indian Super League. Retrieved 8 September 2016. 
  36. ^ 2016 ISL Statistics http://www.indiansuperleague.com/stats/player-offensive-mp-stat19-statsdetail
  37. ^ 2015 ISL Statistics http://www.indiansuperleague.com/stats/player-offensive-mp-stat13-statsdetail
  38. ^ 2014 ISL Statistics http://www.indiansuperleague.com/stats/player-offensive-mp-stat12-statsdetail
  39. ^ www.indiansuperleague.com. "The Official Site of the Hero Indian Super League - Statistics". indiansuperleague.com. Retrieved 16 June 2017. 
  40. ^ www.indiansuperleague.com. "The Official Site of the Hero Indian Super League - Statistics". indiansuperleague.com. Retrieved 16 June 2017. 
  41. ^ www.indiansuperleague.com. "The Official Site of the Hero Indian Super League - Statistics". indiansuperleague.com. Retrieved 16 June 2017. 
  42. ^ "INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE - 2016". 
  43. ^ "Indian Super League". sportzwiki.com. Retrieved 2016-12-08. 
  44. ^ "Indian Super League". thesportsrush.com. Retrieved 2016-12-08. 
  45. ^ "Indian Super League". indiansuperleague.com. Retrieved 2016-12-08. 

External links[edit]

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