KOCHI: Uncertainty over Kerala Blasters FC’s home game against Mumbai City FC intensified on Saturday when officials of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) disrupted the club’s pre-match press conference at Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, citing unresolved agreement issues.
GCDA officials entered the stadium hall shortly before the scheduled press conference ahead of the match against Mumbai City FC and asked media personnel to vacate the premises, alleging that the revised rental agreement with the club had not yet been signed. The unexpected intervention forced the Blasters to shift the press interaction online, creating an embarrassing situation just hours before kickoff.
According to sources, the GCDA executive committee has now revised the rent to Rs 4.2 lakh per match, up from the Rs 2 lakh figure announced earlier. The new agreement reflecting the revised amount is yet to be formalized, triggering the latest standoff between the two sides.
Only a week ago, GCDA and the club had jointly addressed the media at the same venue, where GCDA chairman K. Chandran Pillai announced that the rent had been reduced to Rs 2 lakh from the previous Rs 8.4 lakh, citing the club’s financial constraints due to the delayed ISL season. The chairman described the reduction as a “one-time” arrangement, made following a direct request from the AIFF, to ensure that Kerala’s football home remained in Kochi.
The Blasters have been grappling with uncertainty over their home venue since the ISL schedule was finalized late. The club had initially explored shifting base to Kozhikode but dropped the plan due to lack of clarity from the Kerala Football Association, which operates the EMS Corporation Stadium, opting instead to remain in Kochi following GCDA’s concessional offer.
Club officials are now in discussions with GCDA to resolve the last-minute impasse.
However, the incident has cast a shadow over preparations and raised concerns among fans ahead of the home fixture scheduled for Sunday at 7:30 pm.
The revamped Blasters side had begun their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Mohun Bagan Super Giant in Kolkata on February 14, making their home opener all the more significant—both on and off the pitch.