Exclusive: SLK CEO & Director Mathew Joseph opens up on building Super League Kerala from ground up & more

SLK CEO & Director Mathew Joseph describes the approach as a “360-degree sustainability model”

Kerala has long been one of the strongest footballing regions in India. From packed local tournaments to school grounds producing promising players, the sport is deeply woven into the state’s identity. Yet turning that passion into a sustainable professional football system has been a challenge.

With the third edition of the Super League Kerala set to begin on 25 September, the league is trying to address that gap by building its own model rather than simply following the path of bigger competitions.

Super League Kerala CEO and Director Mathew Joseph describes the approach as a “360-degree sustainability model”, with clubs, vendors and fans all having a stake in the future of the sport.

Khel Now had the opportunity to speak with Super League Kerala CEO and Director Mathew Joseph in an exclusive conversation.

How SLK plans to develop Kerala’s next generation

In an exclusive conversation with Khel Now, Joseph spoke about SLK’s role in connecting grassroots football with the professional game, the league’s efforts to improve infrastructure and technology, and how it hopes to discover talented players before they attract wider attention.

Q. Can Super League Kerala become the missing link between grassroots football and India’s professional ecosystem?

Mathew Joseph: “That is certainly the aim. We want to create a link between grassroots football and the national level.”

“The league also gives opportunities to foreign players. We have six foreign players allowed per team, which is one of the highest numbers among leagues in the country.”

Q. What changes when a league grows and invests in infrastructure, technology and new teams?

Mathew Joseph: “When we started, Kerala had only one stadium that could host football regularly — the Kochi Stadium. We have since helped expand the infrastructure to six stadiums.”

“Our focus has been on developing grounds across the state so that every team has a home stadium. Most of our matches are played at night under floodlights and on weekends, so having teams play closer to their own supporters is important.”

“We wanted fans to be able to attend matches without having to travel long distances. That is why we have invested in pitches, stadium facilities, lighting and other improvements needed to host matches comfortably.”

This year, around 3,500 players from Kerala took part in the scouting process for an opportunity to play in the Super League Kerala.

Last year, around five players were selected from the state and went on to receive opportunities with six different clubs.

Mathew Joseph believes that SLK can produce National setup players

“One player we have been following closely is Muhammed Sinan from Kannur. If he continues to perform well, I believe he can attract attention at the national level.”

“We are constantly looking for talent across Kerala using technology. This includes wearable devices such as performance-tracking bands and vests that generate heat maps, allowing us to get a better understanding of how players perform.”

“Our teams also run training programmes that go beyond physical fitness. Mental and psychological preparation is equally important because footballers deal with enormous pressure during matches. Ninety minutes on the pitch can be extremely demanding, especially with the pressure of the game and the crowd.”

“We therefore work on the mental side of the game as well, and we are looking at bringing in more technology. We are also in discussions with one of the leading AI camera companies to improve the way we analyse performances.”

SLK aims to bridge grassroots and professional football

Mathew Joseph called out in the interview about how the SLK has developed in the last two seasons, as it will rise more and more in the third season itself, and also urged that the league could become a pathway for the grassroots and that level of players to reach the professional career.

Also Read: Super League Kerala 2026: List of all transfers so far

Q. Can international players in the Super League Kerala help accelerate the development of Indian footballers rather than simply filling foreign-player slots?

Mathew Joseph: “Absolutely. Playing alongside better and more experienced players can make a major difference.”

“They do not necessarily have to be international players. For example, if a good national-level player plays alongside someone who has just arrived from a small town in Kerala, that younger player can learn and improve simply by playing with him.”

“The same applies at the next level. If a national player plays alongside an international footballer who has experience in different leagues and tournaments, the national player can also benefit. Football is a team sport. It depends heavily on coordination between players and the coach. As that understanding develops, the quality and ability of the players improve as well.”

“We do not want foreign players to simply come in and play. We have internationally or professionally licensed coaches as head coaches, while A-licensed Indian coaches work as assistants.”

The next generation superstar from SLK

Mathew Joseph: “Our main initiative is Programme Game Changer. In the first year, we partnered with Andres Iniesta. The Andres Iniesta Academy came to Kerala and helped establish the foundation of the programme. Coaches from Spain were also involved and worked with the programme.”

“The initiative includes a month-long event each year, during which we travel to different parts of Kerala and conduct open trials. Players from across the state can register and take part.”

“From there, we identify players who deserve an opportunity to join the camps. Last year, the camps were smaller. This year and going forward, all six teams will select players and bring them into their camps. They will continue working with those players, identify the strongest performers and eventually bring them into the SLK teams.”

Q. Can SLK create a blueprint for football expansion in India at the regional level?

Mathew Joseph: “We can, and we are hopeful and working towards it. What we are trying to put together is a very robust model. What we understand in sports today in India is, the sustainability of the entire league and its team. Putting up operationally sustainable model is extremely important for any league to sustain, especially when it comes to a non-cricketing league. There are many leagues which start in shutdown. But our whole objective from year one, from the concept stages onwards has been, how do we sustain this?”

Q. How do our teams become profitable and how does a league become sustainable and profitable?

Mathew Joseph: “This can happen with very stringent norms and a vision to actually ensure that, all the stakeholders in the system are able to look at years to come. Now, when I say stakeholders, stakeholders means the league, number one, number two is obviously the teams.”

“Number three is each and every vendor in that should be paid, otherwise the vendors will have a problem. Each and every player has to be paid and every person involved in the entire value chain system should be taken care.”

Q. What are the new changes in the third season which the football fans should look forward to?

Mathew Joseph: “Number one is that, to make the game more interesting and decisive in the sense, you know, a fan is more interested to know who’s won, who’s lost. A lot of times, what we have seen in our league matches is that the games come to an end with a draw. But what we are implementing this year onwards, which has been implemented by FIFA and many other leagues across the world, like the league in Japan, league in China and a lot of other places, we are going to introduce a penalty shootout system in which if both the teams are on a draw, okay, if it’s like zero goals or
on a draw, they will go in for a penalty shootout at the end of the game and till the result comes out, the penalty shootouts keep happening.”

“So that’s one major change which we are bringing in this season, which will bring in a lot of enthusiasm as well as a fan going home with a decision that yes, my team is won or lost what they need to do after that is obviously, you know, it’s either they support more or, you know, they go happy home. But yes, we are trying to bring in a decision at the end of each game.”

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