The previous season was an emotional roller-coaster for Kerala Blasters FC, who flashed confidence at different points during the league but eventually ended with a mid-table finish. The team frequently alternated between stunning victories and devastating defeats as they confronted consistency concerns. Their lack of depth, injury problems, and inconsistent performance made it impossible for them to make a serious bid for a position at the top of the table.
However, this time, the preparations for the forthcoming season are moving forward at a blistering pace, even though the fans are finding it difficult to accept certain strange decisions made by the management. Blasters have undergone significant changes. A new head coach, Mikael Stahre, has taken over with fresh thoughts. They also succeeded in bringing in a few good additions during this transfer window.
The 2024–2025 Indian Super League (ISL) season of Kerala Blasters FC is scheduled to begin on September 15, 2024, at 7:30 PM at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, versus Punjab FC.
Summer Transfer Window
Kerala Blasters FC performed a relatively good job of recruiting three quality foreign players, despite their lack of success in bringing in top-tier Indian signings. The management was able to sign 32-year-old French center-back Alexandre Coeff from SM Caen, who is a great replacement, for Marko Leskovic on paper, who was also a true mentor for the team on and off the field.
Better late than never was a saying that the management held on to for a long time as they announced the signing of 30-year-old veteran Spanish striker, Jesus Jimenez at the close of the transfer window who came in as a replacement for the club’s best striker and previous season’s Golden Boot winner, Dimitrios Diamantakos to whom the club bid farewell to, almost 100 days ago.
Jesus missed most of the previous season due to injury, and thus he wasn’t an exceptional prospect for the team he last played for. But he is a striker with the vision, speed, and agility that the team requires together with the experience up top.
The next main name on the list is the 30-year-old ISL-experienced Moroccan forward, Noah Sadaoui. The team consistently finds international talents from outside the league rather than from the ISL itself, so this was something different. During his brief tenure in India, he has 35 goals and 18 assists. He is the kind of player who has proven that he can stand up for the team at any moment to influence the result of the game.
Other key signings made by the club include R.Lalthanmawia (22) – FWD, Nora Fernandes (26) – GK, and Som Kumar (19) – GK.
Numerous major names also departed the Blasters, including star striker Dimitrios Diamantakos, who led the squad in goals last year. This was a more devastating move because most of the fans had believed that he would leave India, but he continued on and joined East Bengal FC. Other well-known names who left the roster are Daisuke Sakai, Fedor Cernych, Marko Leskovic, and Jeakson Singh.
Pre-Season
Kerala Blasters flew to Thailand for their pre-season preparations ahead of the Indian Super League 2024/25. They participated in three friendly matches there; KBFC won two of them against Samut Prakan City FC and Ratchaburi FC and lost the other against Pattaya United FC. Even though it was the team’s first few games, they performed very well, which is undoubtedly positive given that it was a completely new squad led by a new coach.
They also had a successful start to their Durand Cup campaign, scoring 8 goals against Mumbai City FC, 7 against CISF Protectors FT, and drew with Punjab FC. However, following a dominant group stage display, the Blasters’ hopes were vanquished in the knockout stages, as Bengaluru FC narrowly prevailed in the last seconds of the match. Ultimately, the club had a lot of ups and downs throughout this preseason, but these outcomes ultimately helped Mikael Stahre to better grasp the team’s weaknesses and abilities.
Most exciting player to look forward to
Kerala-born 21-year-old left-back Muhammed Saheef is one of the most important players to look forward to in this upcoming edition of the ISL. Basically a left-back, who is more inclined towards contributing to the goal-scoring of the team while also remaining a strong presence at the defensive line accordingly. We have seen Saheef shining throughout the pre-season games and in the Durand Cup which makes him worthy enough to be included in this list.
Player with a point to prove
24-year-old Kerala’s local talent, Rahul KP is a player who definitely has a point to prove this time. Rahul has been with the team since 2019 when he was transferred into the club from Indian Arrows FC. He stood up for the team in crucial moments like in the 2021/22 season final against Hyderabad FC and has already cemented his position in the club. But lately, he seems to have downgraded massively as we cannot see the old, in-fire form of Rahul KP again, but now he himself knows that he has a huge job ahead of him as he got to start contributing to the team again, and prove everyone wrong.
Best XI
Sachin Suresh (GK), Alexander Coeff, Pritam Kotal, Aibhanbha Dohling, Prabir Das, Vibin Mohanan, Danish Farooq, Adrian Luna (C), Noah Sadaoui, Rahul KP, Jesus Jimenez.
Predictions
Kerala Blasters is cautiously optimistic going onto the 2024–25 season. Even though the club has improved in crucial areas, its growth may be hampered by ongoing defensive problems and the absence of a proven goal scorer. The Blasters may be strong contenders to finish in the top four if the new players gel right away and the youngsters perform well. But they might find themselves battling for a mid-table spot once more if they have a lackluster start or further injuries. A fifth or sixth-place result would be a reasonable estimate, with potential to grow if everything goes according to the strategy.
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