KOCHI: Kerala Blasters have completed their search for a new head coach as Ivan Vukomanovic became the tenth man to take up the role at the Indian Super League team in just eight seasons and will take charge for the upcoming season. The 43-year-old takes over from Kibu Vicuna who left towards the end of last season after a challenging campaign.
The Serbian comes with an impressive resume with coaching stints in Belgium, Slovakia as well as Cyprus.
He began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Belgian club Standard Liege in the 2013-14 season before his promotion in the subsequent term. Under him, the team secured qualification in the UEFA Europa league group stages for two successive seasons.
During this tenure, he coached Belgian internationals like Michy Batshuayi of Crystal Palace among others. He has since managed SK Slovan Bratislava in the Slovak Super Liga, with whom he won the Slovakia National Cup, and was last in charge of Apollon Limassol in the Cypriot first division.
“From my first contact with the club’s directors, the feeling was positive. They have a professional approach about their vision, which gave me a very good feeling. After seeing the army of fans and support KBFC has, I didn’t hesitate a second. Immediately I knew that I wanted to become a member of the KBFC family, and I am very glad it happened. I hope we will all work together to make everyone who loves this beautiful club happy and proud. Yennum Yellow!” Vukomanovic was quoted in a club statement.
Prior to his coaching career, Vukomanovic had a long playing career that stretched to over 15 years. A defender who could also play in defensive midfield, Vukomanovic had stints with Ligue 1 side FC Bordeaux in France, Serbian outfit Red Star Belgrade, FC Köln in Germany and Russian outfit Dynamo Moscow being the most notable.
Ivan’s coaching team at Blasters will also include Belgian assistant coach Patrick Van Kets, who comes with 18 years of experience as a professional footballing coach. The 54-year-old has worked as an assistant coach at various clubs in France and Belgium.
Blasters Sporting Director Karolis Skinkys said that the recruitment process was not an easy one.
“I would like to congratulate Ivan on joining Kerala Blasters FC. It was a long process to choose the right candidate for the important head coach position. I think Ivan is the right fit for this big challenge and responsibility, someone who can handle the pressure here. I see his passion for the game, deep football knowledge and clear principles about football. I like his way of thinking and I believe that Ivan will be able to implement his football ideas in Kerala Blasters. We are looking forward to working in the same direction to help Kerala Blasters grow," he said.
The club conducted an individual training camp after the end of last season to help its players improve their fitness and skills during the off-season. While preseason planning and preparations are already underway, the training camp is also expected to resume soon with Ivan expected to arrive in India in the coming weeks.