Five reasons why Kerala Blasters decided to move on from Ivan Vukomanovic

An association of over three years comes to an abrupt end.

Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Kerala Blasters dropped a shocking news after announcing the departure of Ivan Vukomanovic as the club’s head coach on 26 April 2024. The formal separation of the Serbian coach and the Yellow Army surprised a major section of KBFC’s passionate fanbase. Still, some factors made the decision somewhat justified. 

The 2023-24 campaign went down as another disappointing term for Kerala Blasters, without any trophy or real upward movement regarding the team’s development or league position. While Ivan Vukomanovic did take the team to the playoffs for the third year in a row, their elimination in the knockout phase did not come as a surprise as few backed KBFC to go on to win the ISL Trophy.

While Ivan Vukomanovic, the longest-serving head coach at Kerala Blasters, will be considered a club legend, it is fair to say that the time is right for the club to look at other alternatives. As the three-year-long association between the tactician and the club comes to an end, here is a look at five reasons why Kerala Blasters decided to move on from him:

5. No silverware

At the end of the day, a head coach is judged by the amount of trophies he wins for the club and Ivan Vukomanovic returned none in the last three years. While it’s not the only factor, it’s one of the major ones which decides if a head coach stays or leaves.

Kerala Blasters are a club with lofty ambitions. They aim to go toe-to-toe with the best clubs in Indian football and challenge for trophies. Despite a good first half to the 2023-24 season, the Yellow Army could not mount a strong challenge for the ISL League Winners’ Shield, the Super Cup, the Durand Cup or the ISL Trophy.

4. Underwhelming in-game management

There were always reservations about Ivan Vukomanovic’s in-game management. Often, the fans found themselves disagreeing with his substitutions which often killed a match’s momentum. He played safe on several occasions, did not build on one-goal leads and ended up losing points due to poor in-game management. The hierarchy at Kerala Blasters must have seen it as a real issue that would continue to drag the team down.

3. Lack of contingency

Kerala Blasters were unfortunate to receive a bucket load of long-term injuries to their key players during the 2023-24 season. Players like Adrian Luna, Kwame Peprah, Sachin Suresh and more suffered huge spells on the sidelines. However, it exposed a recurring weakness in Ivan Vukomanovic’s approach. He lacked a solid contingency plan, resorted to playing younger players in unnatural positions and could not motivate his team to grind out results, turning defeats into draws.

2. The walkout incident

Hardly anyone can forget when Ivan Vukomanovic led his team and walked off the pitch during the knockout game against Bengaluru FC in the 2022-23 season of the Indian Super League (on 3 March 2023). The decision to stage a walkout in protest to the referee’s decision to allow Sunil Chhetri to take a quick free-kick led to massive consequences for the club. 

A hefty fine of Rs 4 crore was slapped by the AIFF Disciplinary Committee on the club while Ivan Vukomanovic was fined a decent amount and a 10-game ban. The Kerala Blasters women’s team was suspended due to “financial constraints”, which are directly attributed to the fine KBFC had to pay. The incident remains a blot on KBFC’s reputation and one that did not work in Vukomanovic’s favour.

1. New start

Sometimes, the reasoning behind a major change is rather simple than complex. Kerala Blasters gave Ivan Vukomanovic plenty of time and resources to deliver success and silverware since 2021. Despite a few positives, such as the playoffs qualification in three successive years, the overall feeling was that the club underachieved under his stewardship. 

The club kept faith in the tactician but faith does not come with a lifetime warranty; it had to run out sooner than later. Ivan Vukomanovic had run out of ideas and the injuries to key individuals did not help his cause. Eventually, KBFC decided to part ways and take the club in a new direction, which is a completely fair step keeping their best interests in mind.

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