KOCHI: Kerala Blasters FC is making Kerala fall in love with football again. With the team marching into the ISL final, fans say it has been a memorable campaign. The Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi, home of Blasters, has not seen the Indian Super League action in the past few seasons due to the Covid pandemic. But the yellow army’s entry into finals has caused buzz once again. Large-scale screenings were arranged outside the stadium for the semifinals and thousands of fans wearing their jerseys were cheering the team that was playing in Goa.
The team is entering the finals after six years. Fans believe this time will be the charm. Under head coach Ivan Vukomanovic, Blasters have become one of the best in the country. As they face Hyderabad FC for the coveted title, there is hope for fanbases like Manjappada, who have already arranged a live screening of the final on Sunday, like many others. The screening at the stadium is also expected to witness an influx of fans as they anticipate a win.
The fans have been ardently following the proceedings through television screens and social media this season. In previous seasons, when the team was struggling to produce results or play attractive football, fans used to keep away from the matches and the Kaloor stadium had a forlorn look, with many empty seats. The success of the team has revived the connection between the fans and the club. As Blasters have one of the biggest fanbases in the country or even the world, every household will be glued to their TV screens as the likes of Sahal Abdul Samad and Adrian Luna fix play for the cup that has eluded them all these years.
The presence of local talents like Sahal, Rahul K P and K Prasanth brings more reasons to cheer. Beating Jamshedpur FC — the ISL Shield winners — and most in-form teams this season, has made everyone, including the fans and former players, believe Blasters will take the cup home this season. “Winning the ISL would be the best gift Blasters can give their fans. We must win this time because it is one of the best-supported clubs in the ISL and fans will feel vindicated for backing the team if they succeed. Everyone will be watching and believing,” said former Blasters midfielder Sushanth Mathew, who was part of the team that reached the final in 2014. Sushanth even scored in the semifinal against Chennaiyin F C in a season where they came agonisingly close to victory.
Vukomanovic deserves a lot of credit for this year’s performance as he has produced an attractive brand of football, giving opportunities to young Indian players and creating a sustainable model in place rather than a helter-skelter approach like the previous seasons.
“After two heartbreaking losses in the finals, this is a glorious opportunity for the team to deliver the success that the fans are craving for. Blasters boast of one of the best fanbases in the world and it would be huge for Kerala to bring the cup home,” said I M Vijayan. “I have been supporting the team since the start of ISL. We had many heartbreaks along the way, but this is the year we win,” said Sooraj Nair, a die-hard
Blasters fan.
Fan favourite
Recently, Kerala Blasters FC became one of the top Asian football clubs in terms of interactions on Instagram with an impressive 18.9 million interactions, according to a report from January 2022.