ISL 2025-26: David Catala reflects after the fourth consecutive loss of the season

Blasters suffered a 1-0 loss against Chennaiyin FC in ISL

Kerala Blasters FC suffered yet another frustrating 1-0 loss against Chennaiyin FC on the 7th of March 2026, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Kaloor.

A late first-half goal from Imran Khan sealed the first victory for Chennaiyin FC in the southern derby clash of the Indian Super League (ISL ) 2025-26 season.

Following the result, Chennaiyin FC have climbed up in the group table with 4 points, while Kerala Blasters FC, with no wins in their 4 matches, are in 12th position with 0 points.

After the loss, Kerala Blasters FC head coach David Catala addressed the media.

Here is a detailed report on the post-match press conference between Kerala Blasters FC and Chennaiyin FC.

Does the ‘process’ still have management support?

David Catala was asked whether his process of building the team to compete still had the backing of the management, to which he replied

“I don’t know, I don’t know. This is an opinion, maybe you must ask to other people. But the message is the same. I think the players did all that we said. All the opportunities, in the second half, at least to draw the game. But now, for one reason or another, all the games are going against us. Another goal by deflection, a lot of opportunities in the second half.”

“Now it is difficult, it is difficult, to take conclusions out of the game, many emotions, and it is not the best time to say the one reason, but the best thing is to stay calm, to think about and to see what the solution is. Because now after the game, all that I can say to you now is that, about emotions”

On the increasing number of empty seats in the stadium

The once jam-packed Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium has more empty seats than occupied. A stadium that regularly maintained an average attendance of 25000+ is now struggling to secure even five-digit attendance, due to the lack of results from the club.

When asked about what David Catala feels about this, he replied that it is normal for the fans to stop coming to the stadium because they are not getting the results in line with their expectations.

Even though most players, including the coach himself signed at Kerala Blasters due to a fan support component, David Catala says that now it is time to focus on things that he can control, which is to work on the pitch.

“It’s normal that the fans can be disappointed. They might not come to the stadium, because they had another expectation. But we said from the beginning that this season was different. Of course, when I signed here, my illusion was to see the stadium full. That was one of the reasons that I signed, and I hope and I think that all the players that came here, they say the same.”

“But now… It’s always the same message that I say from the beginning. It’s another reality. It’s not the same. It’s not the same. Now we have to work more than ever. We have another challenge. We have another objective that maybe in other seasons you can see your target to look on the top. But now it’s to try to survive and to try to get points from next week again, and this is our reality. The players have to take more morale. So, they have to take their personality, have to take their courage to take this situation because we cannot expect that the people now coming here to fill the stadium because we don’t deserve, we don’t deserve the results.”

“The people can be disappointed, it’s normal. But at least we… The things that we can control right now is just the work, the conclusions again, what can we do better, what can we correct, and it’s the only thing that we can be in our hands. So, the other thing about the fans, we cannot have it.”

On Blasters becoming too predictable

David Catala was asked whether his side’s attacking strategy had become one-dimensional. Observers noted that while the team created several close chances from wide areas, the constant reliance on aerial crosses may be allowing opponents to anticipate and scout the Blasters’ game plan with ease.

Despite starting with two strikers to maximize presence in the box, the Blasters deployed a recurring playstyle. A dependence on wing play at the expense of creative combinations through the middle of the pitch.

“No, but we knew that Chennaiyin they are very strong in the middle. They close very inside the passes, and there are things that we can’t damage more. was on the sides. That’s why today we started with two strikers in order to arrive more from the sides. But of course,to create a little bit more gaps in the middle. But we couldn’t read it good, properly.”

“And of course the best solution in that is to try to not all the time to attack on the sides, so to have a balance and also to try to find the gap between the lines. We didn’t find it, and our final solution was to cross, but also, we didn’t have the quality or the effect to arrive the balls inside the box, even though we had many chances in the second half. But it’s our reality. Maybe it’s true that you say we have to see the game again and to take conclusions.”

Why are the foreigners struggling?

Normally, the foreigners take around 2-3 matches to adapt to the Indian conditions. However, despite having around two weeks of preseason and after completing four matches, the Blasters have now found proper coordination and chemistry between the Indian players and the foreigners.

While asked what the reason was for this, David Catala answered.

“Everything is for everything. Maybe, ok, I don’t know how to take the best performance to them. Also, they need to understand better the situations. Also, we have it in mind, foreigners from before. We can’t comprehend the quality of players they have right now. But they are trying, they are giving their best. It’s the most important thing. We know that we don’t have the same players that we used to have before.”

“But the players are trying their best. We’re trying to give them the best and to try to score and to perform better. We expect a little bit more from all of them, we expect a little bit more because they have to make difference here in the team, and right now we didn’t find yet the good way how to try to get the best performance to all of them.”

How to improve and reach the top half of the table

Kerala Blasters head coach David Catala stated the need for improvements.

“Speaking now about the top of the table, we have zero points. So, our reality is just to save the team this season, and that’s it. Everything that we can think more about, again, previous years, this season is not the same. Try to find a way, it’s my work, my duty to try to find a way to perform better the team. And it’s the only way that we can have right now.”

“Work, find solutions, my responsibility is to perform better the team, perform better the players. Right now I’m not doing a good my job. It’s like that because we have zero points in four games. So for sure, the responsibility that I have about the results is all of mine,and I have to take their responsibilities, and I have to take the way and the solution to try to wake up this team because I think we have enough team at least to get more points.”

About the referees

“I have a lot of worries, just to be thinking of the referees and the other teams, it’s not my business. I cannot control these things, just I can control the situation that is inside the dressing room, and it’s not my duty to have the things that are about referees and other teams. I cannot say because it’s not my business and I don’t want to speak out on that.”

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