ISL 2025-26: Manjappada announces boycott, demands accountability from Kerala Blasters' leadership
Kerala Blasters are yet to register a win in ISL 2025-26
The growing unrest among Kerala Blasters supporters reached a significant point as Manjappada, the club’s prominent fan group, issued a strongly worded statement announcing a boycott and demanding sweeping changes at the top level of the club’s management.
In a detailed statement titled “The Cause for Boycott,” the supporters’ group blamed the club’s continued struggles not on a single poor season, but on what they described as a long-standing pattern of poor decisions, instability, and the absence of a clear footballing identity.
Fans question leadership and long-term planning
At the heart of the statement is criticism of the club’s leadership structure, particularly the lack of a long-term footballing vision.
According to the supporters, the role of the sporting leadership should be to establish continuity, build a clear playing philosophy, and ensure squad stability across seasons. However, they believe the club has failed on all these fronts.
Manjappada pointed to what they described as directionless recruitment, repeated managerial changes, and a constant cycle of resets that have prevented the team from building sustained momentum.
The statement underlined that coaches have been appointed and dismissed in quick succession, with little time to implement their systems, leaving the club without tactical consistency.
Recruitment and player management under scrutiny
Another major concern raised by the supporters’ group revolves around player recruitment and squad management.
The statement criticises repeated questionable signings, concerns around player fitness, and the departure of key players without adequate replacements.
According to the fans, this has created an imbalanced squad that has struggled to compete consistently on the pitch.
They further stressed that even during seasons where the club showed signs of progress, there was little effort to build on that momentum.
Instead, the club has continued to repeat the same cycle of changing coaches, reshuffling the squad, and starting over.
CEO and top management face direct criticism
The frustration has now expanded beyond on-field matters, with the supporters directly criticising the club’s leadership, including CEO Abhik Chatterjee.
The statement claimed that supporters have increasingly lost trust in the administration due to poor sporting outcomes, inconsistent decision-making, and a perceived lack of transparency in appointments and planning.
The fan group also highlighted what they believe is a disconnect between the management and the supporters, claiming that the voice of the fans has been ignored.
They emphasised that loyalty should not be mistaken for acceptance of failure.
This development marks a major moment in Kerala Blasters’ fan culture, with one of Indian football’s most passionate supporter groups openly challenging the club’s leadership.
The coming weeks could prove crucial as attention now shifts to how the club responds to these concerns and whether meaningful changes follow.
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Ayushman Sharma is a sports enthusiast with a deep love for football, following the game closely since 2018. A hardcore supporter of NorthEast United FC and FC Barcelona, he has also gained valuable on-ground experience by volunteering during FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Guwahati.