Kerala Blasters FC

Menu

Author: KBFC-Media

ISHAN PANDITA COMPLETES KERALA BLASTERS FC MOVE

Posted on by KBFC-Media

Kerala Blasters FC is delighted to confirm the signing of Ishan Pandita on a free transfer. The national team striker has put pen to paper on a 2-year deal, until 2025.

Pandita, who started his football career making waves in the BDCA Division A state league in Bengaluru, moved to Spain in 2014 at the age of 16. He joined the youth team of Alcobendas prior to representing youth teams Having represented the youth teams La Liga Clubs UD Almeria and CD Leganes.

Ishan returned to India in 2020 with FC Goa, scoring 4 goals in 11 ISL appearances – all of which came as crucial game-winning and game-tying goals. Prior to signing with the Blasters, the 25-year-old striker spent 2 years with Jamshedpur FC with whom he won the Hero ISL Shield in 2022. To date, Pandita has made over 50 appearances and scored 10 goals across various competitions like the Hero ISL, Hero Super Cup, and AFC Champions League.
His impressive performances earned him a maiden National Team call-up in 2021 and he has since featured regularly for the Blue Tigers.

On his addition to the KBFC squad, Karolis Skinkys, Kerala Blasters Sporting Director, said:

“Ishan is someone who we believe has the ability to impact the game with his presence and physicality and change the course of any contest. The timing now is correct as we aim to compete for titles and for this, we need players with mentality and hunger like Ishan’s. He has to continue working hard and success will follow. I wish him the best of luck on the signing.”

Ishan Pandita said:

“Delighted to become a part of one of the most passionate and beloved clubs in the whole of India. I am very pleased that the think tank at KBFC showed trust in my skill and ability as a player. It was a very long transfer window for me personally but I’m sure I made the right decision. I can’t wait to don the iconic yellow jersey and give it my all to the fans and the club.”

The club would like to congratulate Ishan Pandita on becoming the newest member of the Blasters family.
Ishan has already joined the rest of his teammates in Kolkata, where preparations for the Durand Cup are in full swing. The Blasters are set to kick off their Durand Cup campaign against Gokulam Kerala FC on Sunday, August 13.

KERALA BLASTERS FC ANNOUNCES 26-MEMBER SQUAD FOR DURAND CUP.

Posted on by KBFC-Media

The club would like to announce that a 26-member squad will be representing Kerala Blasters FC in the 132nd edition of the Durand Cup, which will be held between August 3, 2023, and September 3, 2023, in West Bengal and Assam.

As many as 24 teams from all around India, divided into six groups, will be battling it out for the prestigious Durand Cup this year.

Kerala Blasters are placed alongside Bengaluru FC, Gokulam Kerala FC, and Indian Air Force FT in Group C.

On August 13, 2023, the Kerala Blasters will be playing their first match of the tournament against Gokulam Kerala FC in Kolkata.

The Squad:

Goalkeepers: Lara Sharma, Karanjit Singh, Sachin Suresh, Muhammed Jaseen.

Defenders: Pritam Kotal, Prabir Das, Hormipam Ruivah, Marko Leskovic, Bijoy Varghese, Muhammed Saheef, Sandeep Singh, Naocha Singh.

Midfielders: Jeakson Singh, Danish Farooq, Vibin Mohanan, Mohammed Azhar, Saurav Mandal, Bryce Miranda, Nihal Sudeesh, Mohammed Aimen, Yoihenba Meitei.

Forwards: Adrián Luna, Dimitrios Diamantakos, Emmanuel Justine, Rahul Kannoly Praveen, Bidyashagar Singh.

Lara Sharma joins Kerala Blasters FC on a year-long loan deal

Posted on by KBFC-Media

The club would like to announce that it has signed goalkeeper Lara Sharma on a one-year loan deal from Bengaluru FC.

The 24-year-old is a polished product of Tata Football Academy. He has packs of experience having gone through the footballing ranks of Indian Arrows, ATK (reserves), and Bengaluru FC.

A Durand Cup winner, Lara had also represented the national team U18 side.

Commenting on the loan deal, Karolis Skinkys, Kerala Blasters Sporting Director, said:

“Lara is someone who we’ve followed for a long time. For now, we got an opportunity to see him closely for one season and also add depth to our goalkeeping department. I hope this upcoming season plays a substantial part in the growth of Lara Sharma as a player and that his time with us is mutually beneficial to both him and the club.”

A visibly ecstatic Lara Sharma said:
“The opportunity to play at KBFC is so special. The fans, the atmosphere, and the energy around the Club is so positive and I can’t wait to be a part of it all. I’m looking forward to making the most of this opportunity and contributing to the club in every way possible.”

We would like to welcome Lara Sharma into the Blasters family and wish him a very productive season ahead. He has already linked up with his new teammates in Kochi, as preparations for the upcoming Durand Cup are underway.

Kerala Blasters FC vs. Maharaja’s College; Preseason Friendly: Final Score 8 – 0

Posted on by KBFC-Media

Kerala Blasters FC gained precious preseason game time when they faced Maharaja’s College football team in a friendly encounter at Ernakulam’s Panampally Nagar Football Ground this evening.

Kerala Blasters entered the game with a 4-4-2 formation and concentrated on playing a pressing game, which yielded results in the form of regular goals through the entire 90 minutes of the match.

The first half ended with a 4-0 lead, with Bidyashagar and Bijoy contributing two goals each. Hormipam Ruivah, who wore the captain’s armband, marshaled the backline well to ensure a clinical first half.

The second half saw several changes in personnel but the Blasters attacking onslaught continued. Rahul found the back of the net twice along with a goal each for Diamantakos and Luna, stretching the final score to an impressive 8-0 in favor of the Blasters.

As impressive as the attacking line-up was today, the defensive unit, comprising the likes of Hormipam, Prabir Das, Lešković, and Bijoy, was also equally clinical in dousing any possible attacks from building.

New signing Pritam Kotal also got his first look as a Blasters player in what was a commanding second-half performance from the veteran defender.

The preseason friendly was an important fixture in ensuring that the entire squad got some match minutes under their belts before the team faces more challenging fixtures in the Durand Cup lined up next month.

LINEUPS

First Half

Sachin, Naocha, Hormipam, Bijoy, Prabir, Yoihemba, Azhar ( 23′ Roshan), Bryce, Justine, Bidyashagar, Ajsal ( 23′ Nihal )

Second half

Karanjit, Saurav, Pritam, Lešković, Saheef, Jeakson, Danish, Aimen, Rahul, Luna, Diamantakos.

KBFC Invites Applications for Youth Academy Physiotherapist

Posted on by KBFC-Media
Job Title Youth Academy Physiotherapist
Position Type Full-time
Reports to Head Coach Academy
Location   Kottayam

About:
Kerala Blasters Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League. The club is built on three strong pillars of Collectivism, Inclusivity and Sportsmanship, KBFC aims to being the biggest Football Club in India that generates young and talented players who not just represents the club in the National level but also the country in an international playing field, thereby reinforcing the legacy of Kerala towards the sport.

Purpose:
To provide physiotherapy treatment for the academy players

Responsible for:

Will be responsible for the Youth Academy team’s physiotherapy treatments.
Plan prevention and prehab exercises to be followed for the Youth Academy Team.
To help the team in the field – warmup, main session and warm down.
To teach players on injury prevention, developing strength and endurance, and overall well-being.
To organize any medical requirements – medicines, treatments, tests and prevention from injuries and sickness.
To teach the importance of hygiene and cleanliness.
To plan a program for rehab of injured players and maintain medical reports of all players.
Inform and advise the young players the importance of rest and recovery and having healthy food.
Reporting of all injuries to the manager/coaching staff/board etc. and providing updates on all player’s rehabilitation progress.
Arrange and attend consultations with surgeons, medical personnel, MRI scans, X Rays, or any other external appointment as necessary using sound clinical reasoning.
Completing comprehensive medical records for all players
Shall provide all necessary documents and reports for insurance purposes during and after the tournament.
Shall be accountable for inventory management of all physio and medical equipment/consumables.
To carry out the services/activities as required for other age group youth teams and senior teams of the club.
To attend trials of the youth academy/reserve team as per the scouting team’s advice
To conduct Physiotherapy workshops as per club policy involving internal/external stakeholders.
Undertake such other duties as are reasonably requested by the Company
Maintain a flexible approach to work at all times.
To carry out reasonable services/activities as required.

Who we are looking for:
Bachelor of Physiotherapy/ Master of Physiotherapy
1-2 years of experience in Physiotherapy, preferably football
Professional Proficiency in English and Malayalam
Accepts accountability for all tasks and is able to take responsibility for outcomes
Experience in achieving outcomes and results through influencing the way resources are utilized as well as in managing them directly
Communication skills to cater to internal/external stakeholders
Proactive in planning, organizing, and managing multiple priorities
Comfortable with ambiguity and navigating fast-paced changes

Interested candidates to send CV along with Covering Letter to careers@kbfcofficial.com.
Subject of the email must be “Youth Academy Physiotherapist”

KBFC INVITES APPLICATION FOR Youth Academy Goalkeeper Coach

Posted on by KBFC-Media
Job Title Youth Academy Goalkeeper Coach
Position Type Full-time
Reports to Head Coach Academy/ Director of Academy
Location Kottayam/Kochi

About:
Kerala Blasters Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League. The club is built on three strong pillars of Collectivism, Inclusivity and Sportsmanship, KBFC aims to being the biggest Football Club in India that generates young and talented players who not just represents the club in the National level but also the country in an international playing field, thereby reinforcing the legacy of Kerala towards the sport.

Purpose:
To train Goalkeepers of the youth academy of Club

Responsible for:

• To train the youth teams, Goalkeepers
• Attend all Matches and participate in any matches in which the Club is involved;
• Focus on developing young goalkeepers, scouted by the club;
• Conduct sessions with goalkeepers from the club’s youth teams based on schedule.
• Schedule, organize, and participate in training and every practice session;
• Coach to the best of his skill and ability at all times in both matches and training;
• Carry out off-field duties as reasonably expected of a professional football Goalkeeper coach;
• Assist and work with the Technical Director and Head Coaches of the teams
• To Scout and identify talents and recommend to Technical Director for trials and inductions for senior, reserve and youth teams;
• To travel as and when required to conduct trials all over the state and also outside the State of Kerala for selection and talent identification;
• Identify talents across all age groups
• Prepare scouting reports after trails
• Evaluation and monitoring progress of players identified
• Interact with coaches of KBFC to identify specific requirements
• Interact with coaches and scouts to build a scouting network across India
• Maintain a flexible approach to work at all times.
• To carry out reasonable services/activities as required.

Who we are looking for:

• Min AFC Goalkeeping Level 1
• 1-2 Years of Coaching Goalkeepers
• Strong Communication and Leadership skills
• Excellent Knowledge of technical and tactical aspects of the goalkeeping positions
• Accepts accountability for all tasks and is able to take responsibility for outcomes
• Experience in achieving outcomes and results through influencing the way resources are utilized as well as in managing them directly
• Proactive in planning, organizing and managing multiple priorities
• Comfortable with ambiguity and navigating fast-paced changes

Interested candidates to send CV along with Covering Letter to careers@kbfcofficial.com.
Subject of the email must be “Youth Academy Goalkeeping Coach

KBFC invites application for Youth Academy Scout/Analyst

Posted on by KBFC-Media
Job Title Youth Academy Scout/ Analyst
Position Type Full-time
Reports to Head Coach Academy/ Director of Academy
Location   Kottayam/Kochi

About

Kerala Blasters Football Club is an Indian professional football club based in Kochi, Kerala, that competes in the Indian Super League. The club is built on three strong pillars of Collectivism, Inclusivity and Sportsmanship, KBFC aims to being the biggest Football Club in India that generates young and talented players who not just represents the club in the National level but also the country in an international playing field, thereby reinforcing the legacy of Kerala towards the sport.

Posting

To provide reports and data on new and current players performances and assist the club in identifying the best talents available.

Responsible for

  • To create, collate and monitor scouting intelligence effectively, using all available resources
  • Identify potential Youth Teams, Reserve Team, and First Team transfer targets.
  • To develop a network of contacts in youth football India and Specified age range in order to maximize coverage and ensure the Club has a working knowledge of all talented young players.
  • To maintain a working knowledge of all players who have either previously been signed/registered with the Academy but have since been released or have had unsuccessful periods of training and assessment, in order to identify any potential late developers.
  • To maintain and submit accurate and detailed records of all matches attended and players scouted and monitor scouting database
  • Create and present Talent ID Videos on request
  • Deliver regular training to the Video Scouts and Consultants to ensure they are reporting correctly and understand the KBFC Style of Play.
  • Gather market intelligence to build the Scouting Database.
  • Coordinate and manage Video Scouts
  • Create and present a Scouting report as requested.
  • Carry out extensive background checks on players that have been identified as potential transfer targets.
  •  Provide post-match report and opposition team report before and after the match.
  • Capture and analyze the practice video sessions.
  • Provide statistics based on the coach’s requirement.
  • Research on players potential for recruitment (Stats and Video)
  • Maintain all types of Statistics of players in the I League, 2nd Division, State Leagues, Youth League, etc.
  • Research on ISL, I-League, State League, Youth Leagues to check the trends and adapt to the upcoming season.
  • Keep confidential any information gained regarding the transfer targets, Club and its personnel.
  • Maintain a flexible approach to work at all times.
  • To carry out the reasonable services/activities as required.

Who we are looking for

  • Bachelor’s Degree, Certificate in Sports Analysis/Analysis Software is a plus
  • 1-2 years of experience in sports analysis, preferably football analysis
  • Knowledge of using different analysis tools and software.
  • Professional Proficiency in English
  • Accepts accountability for all tasks and is able to take responsibility for outcomes
  • Experience in achieving outcomes and results through influencing the way resources are utilized as well as in managing them directly
  • Communication skills to cater to internal/external stakeholders
  • Proactive in planning, organizing, and managing multiple priorities
  • Comfortable with ambiguity and navigating fast-paced changes

Interested candidates to send CV along with Covering Letter to careers@kbfcofficial.com. Subject of the email must be “Youth Academy Scout/Analyst”

INJURY UPDATE: JAUSHUA SOTIRIO

Posted on by KBFC-Media

The Club would like to inform that forward Jaushua Sotirio suffered an ankle injury during a training session a few days ago.

While the exact time frame for his full return is yet to be confirmed, upon initial assessment, Jaushua is likely to remain out of action until 2024. Our medical team, in collaboration with external specialists, will work diligently to provide him with the best possible care and support, ensuring his safe and efficient return to the field.

During his absence, we trust that our fans and supporters will continue to show their unwavering support for Sotirio.

We remain committed to Jaushua’s well-being and recovery, and we will provide updates on his progress as he works towards returning to full fitness.

Kerala Blasters FC extends its contract with Goalkeeper Sachin Suresh Until 2026

Posted on by KBFC-Media

The Club is thrilled to announce that goalkeeper Sachin Suresh has signed a three-year contract with Kerala Blasters FC until 2026.

The 22-year-old goalkeeper, who marked his first team debut earlier this year in the Hero Super Cup 2023, came through the youth system of the Club. Having represented the Reserves, on several instances even as captain, in the Reliance Foundation Development League, the NextGen Cup in UK, and the Kerala Premier League over the last few years, Sachin has impressed with his consistency, hunger, attitude, and ability.

Sachin, who has already represented India at the U-17 and U-20 levels, was already training with the senior team for the last few years in a developmental role. Sachin’s impressive performances in the Hero Super Cup 2023 is a great indication of his growth with the Club over the last few years and a testament to his commitment in showing the right attitude & patience.

Commenting on the extension, Karolis Skinkys, Kerala Blasters Sporting Director, said:

“Sachin has been with us for some time now and this extension is a reflection of his hard work, attitude, skill & temperament. I believe Sachin has the mentality it takes to perform & succeed at the most competitive levels, and one day captain this great Club. We see him as a very bright prospect and hence, the decision to back him with a long-term contract was clear. Now, he needs to keep his head down, stay humble, and keep working.”

As the Club looks ahead to an exciting future, the contract extension of Sachin Suresh serves as a promising sign of the club’s commitment to developing local talent and building a formidable team. The organization remains dedicated to providing an environment that nurtures growth, while also aiming to provide an exceptional sporting experience for all stakeholders across the country.

KERALA BLASTERS COMPLETE SIGNING OF DEFENDER PRITAM KOTAL.

Posted on by KBFC-Media

The Club can confirm that it has reached an agreement with Mohun Bagan Super Giant for the transfer of Pritam Kotal. The deal will see Sahal Abdul Samad go the other way, bringing an end to his 6 year journey with the Club. The Club will also receive an undisclosed transfer fee.

The former title-winning MBSG captain joins the Blasters having put pen to paper on a three-year contract until 2026.

Kotal’s football journey began with the youth team of Chirag United, where an impressive stint opened doors to the India U-19 side. In 2011, Pritam joined the All India Football Federation’s developmental I-League side, Indian Arrows. He made 26 appearances for Arrows before earning a move to Mohun Bagan, in 2013, where he quickly established himself as a first-team regular.

Pritam marked his ISL debut in 2014 with FC Pune City, from Mohun Bagan. He would spend two years there. In a standout 2015, he won the I-League title with Mohun Bagan and also won the I-League’s Best Defender for the year 2015. The trophy collection continued as he picked his maiden ISL trophy with ATK in 2016.

The defender made a permanent switch to ATK in 2018, kickstarting a journey that saw him transform as a player and leader for both Club and Country. Since 2018, Pritam made over 125 appearances for the Club, becoming a vital cog in the team’s defense. Under his leadership and captaincy, the team would go on to lift two more Hero ISL trophies in 2020 and 2023.

Pritam has been just as consistent with Indian National Football Team. Since his debut in 2015, he has been a mainstay in defense and has featured regularly for the Blue Tigers. been a vital cog in the team’s plans. He has made over 50 appearances for the Blue Tigers and has lifted numerous trophies like the SAFF Championship, Intercontinental Cup, and Tri Nations Cup with the national team.

Equally apt playing at center back or right back, Kotal is known as a hard-as-nails defender. His strong tackling capabilities combined with an unwavering level of commitment and steel in his approach toward football have made him a true stalwart of Indian Football. An inspiring figure both on and off the pitch, Pritam has led by example for both Club and Country over the years.

Commenting on the successful signing of Pritam Kotal and Karolis Skinkys, Kerala Blasters Sporting Director, said:

“Pritam is a player with a tremendous work ethic and winning mentality. It is very rare to see players like Pritam who, despite having enjoyed the kind of success that he has enjoyed over the years, still want to reinvent themselves, get better, and maintain their standard of play. He brings a wealth of experience and leadership to our squad. There is no doubt that he is one of the finest players in Indian football. I am elated to have Pritam in our squad and expect nothing but great things from him this upcoming season.”

An elated Pritam Kotal said,

“I am delighted to join Kerala Blasters and embark on this new chapter of my career. The club’s rich history and passionate fanbase make it an exciting opportunity for me. I am eager to contribute my skills and leadership to the team and work towards achieving our collective goals. I am grateful for the trust placed in me by Kerala Blasters, and I promise to give my absolute best on the field. Together with my new teammates, I am confident that we will create memorable moments and bring success to the club. I am eagerly looking forward to wearing the Kerala Blasters jersey and making our fans proud. Let’s go, Blasters!”

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Pritam Kotal as he embraces this new journey with Kerala Blasters. Pritam becomes the fourth signing by the Club this summer, following the arrivals of Jaushua Sotirio, Prabir Das, & Naocha Singh. He is expected to link up with the squad in Kochi where preseason preparations have already begun.