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Kerala Blasters FC

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Kerala Blasters
കേരള ബ്ലാസ്റ്റേഴ്സ്
File:Kerala Blasters FC Logo.png
മഞ്ഞയില്‍ കളിച്ചാടൂ (Play in Yellow)
Full nameKerala Blasters Football Club
Nickname(s)The Blasters, മഞ്ഞപ്പട (Manjappada or Yellow Army)
Founded27 May 2014[1]
GroundJawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Kochi, Kerala
Capacity60,500-75,000[2]
OwnersSachin Tendulkar: 60%
PVP Ventures: 20%
Muthoot Pappachan Group: 20%
General ManagerViren D'Silva[3]
Head CoachPeter Taylor
LeagueIndian Super League
2014Regular season: 4th
Finals: Runners-up
Websitehttp://my.kbfc.co.in/
Current season

Kerala Blasters Football Club is an Indian professional football team based in 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 Kerala franchise.[1] The teams home stadium is currently the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.[2] The Kerala Blasters have an annual revenue of $15 million.[4]

The Kerala Blasters played their inaugural match on 13 October 2014, losing 0–1 to NorthEast United at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium.[5] After the first season of the ISL, the Kerala Blasters lead the league in attendance with an average attendance of 47,427.[6] 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

Inception

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 Kerala 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 teams 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]

Inaugural 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 teams 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 lead 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 lead 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 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]

Peter Taylor era: 2015–present

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 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.[26] 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 ers."[26]

Sponsors

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,[27] features a yellow shirt with blue shorts.[26] The Muthoot Pappachan Group meanwhile feature on the Kerala Blasters shirt as title sponsor for the team.[28]Mobile wallet service provider Oxigen 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.

Stadium

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.[2] The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, also known as the Kaloor International Stadium, is a multipurpose stadium, playing host to both football and cricket.[29] 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.[29] 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.[29]

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which usually holds a capacity ranging from 60,000[30] to 75,000.[31] For Indian Super League matches though the capacity was listed officially as 60,500.[2]

Players

Current Squad

As of 27 September 2015.[32]

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF India IND Rahul Bheke
4 DF India IND Ramandeep Singh
5 DF England ENG Peter Ramage
6 DF Spain ESP Carlos Marchena (Marquee)
7 MF India IND Cavin Lobo (on loan from East Bengal)
8 MF Portugal POR João Coimbra
9 FW England ENG Chris Dagnall
10 FW England ENG Sanchez Watt
11 MF India IND Ishfaq Ahmed
12 MF India IND Shankar Sampingiraj (on loan from Bengaluru FC)
13 MF India IND C.K. Vineeth (on loan from Bengaluru FC)
14 MF India IND Mehtab Hossain (on loan from East Bengal)
15 DF India IND Sandesh Jhingan
16 DF India IND Gurwinder Singh (on loan from East Bengal)
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 FW India IND Manandeep Singh
20 FW India IND Mohammed Rafi
23 DF Brazil BRA Bruno Perone
29 DF India IND Saumik Dey (on loan from East Bengal)
30 DF England ENG Marcus Williams
43 GK England ENG Stephen Bywater
66 MF India IND Peter Carvalho
85 MF Spain ESP Pulga
99 MF Spain ESP Josue
- GK India IND Shilton Paul (on loan from Mohun Bagan)
- GK India IND Sandip Nandy

Team management

As of 9 May 2015[32]
Position Name
Head coach England Peter Taylor
Assistant coach England Trevor Morgan
Assistant coach India Ishfaq Ahmed
Head of Grassroots Development Republic of Ireland Terry Phelan
Goalkeeping Coach Australia Neil Young

Team records

Overall records

As of 7 October 2015
Season Indian Super League Finals Top Scorer
P W D L GF GA Pts Position Player Goals
2014 14 5 4 5 9 11 19 4th Runners-up Canada Iain Hume 5
2015 2 1 1 0 3 1 4 3rd - -

Head Coaches

As of 7 October 2015
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 13 035.29
Peter Taylor  England 9 May 2015 Present 2 1 1 0 3 1 050.00

Average home attendances

Year GP Total High Low Average
2014 8 392,886 61,323 34,657 49,111
2015 2 121,500 61,483 60,017 69,750

References

  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. ^ a b c d "Ticket sales open for Kerala Blasters' inaugural home match in Kochi". Indian Super League. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  3. ^ "'Sachin is 100% committed to Kerala Blasters' - D'Silva". Goal.com. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  4. ^ http://www.sportskeeda.com/football/isl-team-balance-sheet-in-depth-revenue-generation-factors-part-1
  5. ^ a b "ISL: NorthEast United FC beat Kerala Blasters 1-0". Times of India. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  6. ^ a b 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 Rafique'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. ^ a b c "Indian Super League: Sachin Tendulkar's Kerala Blasters Unveil Logo". NDTV Sports. 15 September 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  27. ^ Antony, Toby (6 November 2014). "Come on Kerala, Let's football!". Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  28. ^ Sanandakumar, S (29 September 2014). "Muthoot Pappachan Group bags title sponsorship of Kerala Blasters FC". Economic Times. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  29. ^ a b c Jitendran, Nikhil (21 August 2014). "KCA - KFA catfight over Nehru Stadium in Kochi". Goal.com. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  30. ^ "Nehru Stadium". ESPN CricInfo. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  31. ^ "Indian Super League Gets Big Boost as Football Fans Return to Stadia". NDTV Sports. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  32. ^ a b "Your Team". Indian Super League. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
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