KOCHI: The new head coach of Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC) is keen on engineering a return to form by focusing on the mentality of players and playing aggressive football. “The results of this season of the ISL have affected a lot of players in the team and that needs to change before the Super Cup,” David Catala told a press conference at the JLN stadium on Thursday.
“As the first thing, I would like to change the mentality of the players. They need to improve to be a compact and solid team, an analysing and attacking team,” Catala, who was accompanied by club CEO Abhik Chatterjee and sporting director Karolis Skinkys, stressed.
Catala, who took charge on a one-year deal on March 26, is the third coach to guide Blasters this ISL season. He replaces T G Purushothaman, who was named interim coach after Mikael Stahre, the Swede who was appointed at the beginning of the season, was sacked. Blasters finished eighth on the table and failed to make it into the playoffs.
The new coach emphasised that he understands the pressures in meeting the expectations of the club’s large fan base. “The appointment of a new coach at the end of the season gives the team enough time to prepare for the next ISL season,” Karolis said. The full squad is preparing for the AIFF Super Cup, which gets underway on April 21, Catala added.
Kozhikode as addl venue
CEO Abhik confirmed that the club is exploring the possibility of hosting games in Kozhikode as well in the upcoming season. Since the team’s inception in 2014, Blasters have played all their home matches at Kochi’s JLN stadium.
The management had been in discussions with the league for the possibility of a multi-city format, similar to the one adopted by NorthEast United FC this year. “We are definitely interested in playing a couple of games in Kozhikode if things align in the next season itself. There is a sizable chunk of fan base there that we wish to explore,” Abhik told reporters.