Kerala Blasters appoint Eelco Schattorie as head coach

The Dutchman joins the southerners on the back of an impressive season with NorthEast United.

To the delight of Kerala Blasters fans, the club announced the appointment Eelco Schattorie as their new head coach. The former NorthEast United gaffer was amongst the most praised coaches in the country, as he historically led his side to the Indian Super League (ISL) playoffs last season.

Things went from bad to worse for the Blasters last campaign as poor results meant the board sacked former boss David James. Nothing was working out well for the team as even the attendance figures fell drastically during the same time.

In an attempt to save the team from finishing at a shameful position in the league, the club appointed Nelo Vingada as their interim head coach. Interestingly, the Portuguese was also a former NorthEast United tactician during the 2016-17 season.

However, his arrival didn’t make much of an impact as the spoils were already done for the season. Kerala finished their campaign settling at a lowly ninth position in the league; a completely forgettable season.

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On the other hand, Schattorie’s Highlanders were at their peak form with Bartholomew Ogbeche and Federico Gallego leading them to a fourth-placed finish, their best-ever in the league since its inception. Schattorie’s tactics impressed a lot of critics and he was also tipped by few to take charge of the Indian national team after Stephen Constantine’s departure.

The Dutchman holds the best managerial record as compared to any of the Blasters’ coaches so far which will bring excitement to the fans. As practical as the 51 year-old is, his man management skills are something which make him one of the best coaches in the country at the moment.

Under him, many domestic players such as Rowllin Borges, Redeem Tlang and Reagan Singh came to the fore. Likewise at Kerala, they have a strong base of domestic talent like Lalruatthara and Sahal Abdul Samad and many others.

Thus, there is a lot of scope for the improvement of young talented players like these under Schattorie and in a way, it can be seen as a very positive move for the club. The Manjappada fans are hoping that their new head coach will lead them back to their glory days next season.