KOCHI: When Kerala Football Association (KFA) and Super League Kerala (SLK) shook hands with German Football Association (DFB) a month ago, it wasn’t just another MoU. It was a quiet but bold play for Kerala’s footballing future. One that may take years to fully mature, but has the potential to transform the state’s footballing DNA from the grassroots up.
At the core of the tie-up is a sister-club partnership between SLK teams and clubs from Germany’s 3rd Division Bundesliga (3. Liga) — a fiercely competitive professional league that has produced some of Germany’s finest footballers. If things work out, each SLK club will now have a German counterpart, providing access to structured coaching, scouting, player development, and crucially, foreign player exchange.
“The Bundesliga 3rd division teams will provide us club and player management know-how and coaches’ training module. They will provide us coaches and players too. That’s because SLK teams can get six foreign players. So, instead of throwing money away outside, they can get players from the sister team itself. And their players get exposure here,” KFA president Navas Meeran told TNIE.
The longer-term goal is clear: develop a pipeline of Kerala-born players with the potential to play professional football in Germany. With exposure to European systems, Kerala’s footballing base could rise significantly in quality and ambition.
“Over a period of time, we will have good players. And because the German teams are connected with the clubs here, they will also see our good players. So, our players will get the opportunity to play in the Bundesliga 3rd division,” Meeran pointed out.
The commercial logic hasn’t been lost either.
“Today, the broadcasting rights for English football is worth Rs 500 crore. Whereas Bundesliga does not have that. When the players become more popular, our people will start watching their matches. So, they will also benefit. It’s a win-win situation,” he said.
While the SLK-German partnership takes shape, other such collaborations are blooming in Kerala. The Muthoot Football Academy’s tie-up with Borussia Dortmund promises to raise grassroots standards further. Dortmund — one of Europe’s elite talent incubators — will support world-class training and player exchange.
Meeran sees the value in such partnerships.
“The plan is to nurture players through academies. Money is there. When Anwar Ali (India international defender) was transferred from Delhi FC to East Bengal, the club got a transfer fee of Rs 2.5 crore. Another aspect is that when clubs nurture footballers, their cost for players will come down. And they get a huge amount when they sell a player.”
Support is also growing at the community level. V-Guard-supported Parappur FC, formed under Parappur Sports and Education Trust, is scouting talent from ages 6 to 18, offering quality accommodation and allied facilities.
Long-term strategy
For SLK, the vision is long-term but strategic. The German Football Association has a great record for producing and managing some of the best young talents, said SLK CEO Mathew Joseph. “Unlike money-minded football businesses, their contribution to the sport is always of top quality, be it coaches, trainers or any kind of facilities. That’s the reason SLK chose to collaborate with German football,” he said. The academy SLK is planning to set up near Kottayam is in the phase of scouting