Nothing seems to be going right for the Kerala Blasters this season. A horrendous run of a single win in nine matches so far in the ISL 2026 season has left them in the penultimate position in the 14-team table. The head coach David Catala was sacked after the first six matches, with Englishman Ashley Westwood replacing him mid-season.
Following the poor show this season, and the one before this, the Blasters’ fan group Manjappada (Yellow Army) called for a boycott of the home matches, demanding accountability from the team management. For one of the most followed clubs in Asia, the Blasters have had to play in front of largely empty stands this season. The delay in the starting of the ISL this year had resulted in a large number of first XI players, including the star foreign recruits such as Adrian Luna and Noah Sadaoui, seeking greener pastures either on loan or on permanent basis. The absence of a full-fledged pre-season, too, affected the team’s preparations.
However, recent revelations paint a far grimmer picture as far as the operations of the club are concerned. First, Catala, while speaking to FieldVision, said that survival was the sole aim of the club this season, and prevent being relegated. As the first coach in the club’s history to not win a single game, Catala shocked everybody when he revealed that the foreign players this season came here with zero salary, and expressed surprise over the management remaining silent on the fundamental issues plaguing the Blasters. He said that he simple didn’t have the quality in the team that remained to play as expected and that he had to rework the playing style and strategy accordingly. Though he did not blame the management directly and maintained that he had “respectful relationship” with director Nikhil Bhardwaj Nimmagada, CEO Abhik Chatterjee and sporting director Karolis Skinkys, he said that he took a paycut to take the job.
Now, days after Catala’s revelations, former skipper Jessel Carneiro has dropped yet another bomb. The 35-year-old from Goa joined the Kerala Blasters prior to the 2019-20 season, and was made the vice-captain in the next season. In the 2021-22 season, he was appointed the permanent captain and led the team to the final where they lost to Hyderabad FC on penalties under coach Ivan Vukomanovic. Despite making the play-offs for three consecutive seasons (2021–22, 2022–23, and 2023–24) under Vukomanovic, the club parted ways with him in 2024, and replaced him with Mikael Stahre. However, in December 2024, he too was sacked mid-season after the Blasters failed to qualify for the play-offs, with Catala taking his place.
also read
- Who is Francisco Abalo? Beleaguered Kerala Blasters sign Argentine winger
- ISL 2026: Who is Kevin Yoke? Kerala Blasters strengthen squad with French winger, striker Marlon
- ISL 2026 delay: From Adrian Luna to Tiri, a look at players who have left or have been loaned out
- All decks cleared for ISL 2026? A look at where things stand
Jessel was released by the club in 2023. In a video posted on his Instagram handle, he blamed Skinkys for all the mess at the club. The Lithuanian joined the Blasters in 2020, and was widely credited initially for bringing in promising foreign recruits and the focus on the youth system. However, with the continuing departure of several young promising Indian players and foreigners over the past few seasons, fans have been questioning his long-term strategy.
“The person responsible for everything happening in Kerala Blasters is Karolis (Skinkys). Take it from me,” said Jessel in the video. “Everybody is changing, from the bus driver to the photographer. The guy who is not changing is Karolis. Where is he? Why is he not addressing the fans?”
Jessel blasted Skinkys and Chatterjee for playing with the emotions of the club’s passionate fans, but stopped short of blaming owner Nimmagadda Prasad. Chatterjee had, in fact, recently, shouldered the entire responsibility for the club’s poor performance this season.
“I don’t have anything against the owner, Mr Prasad sir. I respect you and will respect you until my last breath. But what is holding you back, my brother Nikhil? Everything is in front of you; the fans are doing their job. Manjappada has been doing their job, showing you everything possible. You are the high authority and you can do the needful. I don’t know why this guy (Karolis) is still in the club with no results. I really don’t understand,” Jessel said.
Kerala Blasters are set to take on Jamshedpur FC later today at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi.
Watch Jessel Carneiro’s full video here:
