Kerala Blasters decide against contract extensions for Victor Mongil and Apostolos Giannou

The foreign duo have been key contributors at both ends of the pitch.

Kerala Blasters will not extend the contracts of Victor Mongil and Apostolos Giannou, sources close to the development have confirmed. This heralds a period of serious transition after the Hero Super Cup for the Blasters, with the contracts of assistant coach Ishfaq Ahmed and former club captain Jessel Carneiro not being extended as well.

"Kerala Blasters have decided not to extend the contracts of centre-back Victor Mongil and striker Apostolos Giannou," the source told Khel Now. This news confirms that KBFC are heading in a completely new direction and will be very careful with the players they retain.

About the players

30-year-old Spaniard Victor Mongil has been a mainstay in the heart of defence, making 19 appearances for the Blasters this season. He played for Odisha FC in the past and has also represented ATK.

Mongil dominates the charts for progressive passes from the back and leads the defensive line by example. He is not afraid to put his body on the line, as he showed on many occasions throughout the ISL and the Super Cup.

Mongil has played in the lower divisions of Spain and the Geogian top division with Dinamo Tbilisi as a two-time winner. A player of his experience will be a valuable addition to any club.

Greek-Australian forward Apostolos Giannou came to the club with a lot of promise but has had to play second fiddle to Dimitrios Diamantakos. The 33-year-old joined from A-League club Macarthur FC and posted disappointing returns of two goals and assists each from 17 matches.

With the experience of playing in Australian and Greek top-tier teams, Giannou also signed for Guanzhou R&F for a big-money stint in 2015. Giannou has 12 national team caps under his belt and has scored twice. The target man has shown impressive hold-up play.

Kerala Blasters’ season to forget

In a disappointing year marred with controversy, Kerala Blasters were cruising to the knockout stages. A late wobble meant that they squared off against Bengaluru FC in a one-shot eliminator on enemy turf. The infamous ‘walkout’ followed, and the Blasters bowed out of what was a promising campaign with key players in form.

A Super Cup exit came following a defeat to I-League club Sreenidi Deccan, with coach Ivan Vukomanovic serving a suspension for his exeunt. Both the coach and the management have also been handed a fine for their actions in the Kanteerava, with details on further sanctions being awaited.

Kerala Blasters have only recently shown some semblance of consistency, but now look to be back to chopping and changing. The fans will be hoping for improved replacements for the outgoing bunch and the biggest gaping holes that will need filling are those of Mongil and Giannou’s departures.