Kerala Blasters Football Club Reserves and Academy, also known as Kerala Blasters B, are the reserve team and academy of the Kochi based Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters.[1] The reserve team of the Blasters most recently competed in the Kerala Premier League, the top division of Kerala football and the RF Development League. The club's youth system also called as KBFC Young Blasters consists of three teams, Under-17, Under-15 and Under-13 age groups that competes in their respective age divisions of the Youth League. The youth teams of the Blasters has previously played in the Elite League, the top tier of the youth football system in India.
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| Full name | Kerala Blasters Football Club Reserves and Academy | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Manjappada (Yellow Army) Little Tuskers Young Blasters | |||
| Founded | Reserves: January 12, 2017 Academy: August 11, 2015 | |||
| Ground | Maharaja's College Stadium, Ernakulam | |||
| Capacity | 15,000 | |||
| Head coach | Tomasz Tchórz (Reserves) | |||
| League | KPL Reliance Foundation Development League | |||
| Website | keralablastersfc | |||
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History
editOn 20 February 2018, it was announced by the All India Football Federation, the organising body for Indian football, that the Kerala Blasters along with six other Indian Super League sides would field a reserve team in the I-League 2nd Division, India's then second division football league.[2]
The first ever competitive match for the reserves was against Ozone FC on 16 March 2018 in which they suffered a defeat.[3] But they managed to become the table toppers of Group B by winning seven games from ten matches.[4] However, as per the rules, reserve teams of the clubs were not eligible for advancing into the final round. In the same year itself, the side also started to participate in the Kerala Premier League, which is the top division league for the clubs from Kerala.[5] During their first season in KPL, they finished the group stage in third place, thus missing the play-offs.
In 2018-19 ,they finished in third place of the group.[6] In KPL they became the semi-finalists during the 2018-19 season.
They won the 2019-2020 season of Kerala Premier League after defeating the reserve side of their rivals Gokulam Kerala FC in a penalty shootout.[7] In the I-League 2nd Division, they finished the season in fifth place.
In January 2021, the club appointed T. G. Purushothaman as their new head coach, replacing Renjith TA and Shameel Chembakath.[8]
In April 2022, they made their debut in the inaugural edition of the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL). Technical Advisor Tomasz Tchorz was appointed as the head coach while T.G Purushothaman became his assistant.[9] The team won five out of the seven matches which included six clean sheets. With sixteen points in total, they finished second in the table behind Bengaluru FC reserves and qualified for the Next Gen Cup, which was held in the United Kingdom.[10] In the Next Gen Cup's group B semi final, they lost 7–0 against Tottenham Hotspur F.C Academy.[11] In the third-place play-off, they lost 1–4 to Crystal Palace F.C Academy.[12]
In August 2022, with the first team preparing for the 2022–23 Indian Super League season, Kerala Blasters fielded their reserves for the 2022 Durand Cup. With two wins, a draw and two defeats, they qualified for the quarter-finals as the second team from Group D behind Odisha FC.[13] In the quarter-finals, they were defeated 3–0 by Mohammedan SC.[14]
Reserves squad
edit- As of 25 November 2023[15]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Statistics and records
editSeason-by-season
edit- As of 18 April 2021
Note: Reserve clubs are not promoted nor allowed to play in playoffs of I-League 2nd Division
| Season | I-League 2nd Division | Top Scorer | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Position | Player | Goals | |
| 2017–18 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 17 | 21 | 1st (Group B) |  Shaiborlang Kharpan
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8 |
| 2018–19 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 3rd (Group B) | Pragyan Gogoi
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3 |
| 2019–20 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 5 | 5th (Group C) | Ronaldo Oliveira
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4 |
| Season | Kerala Premier League | Top Scorer | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Position | Playoffs | Player | Goals | |
| 2017–18 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 10 | 15 | 3rd (Group A) | DNQ | Shaiborlang Kharpan
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8 |
| 2018–19 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 2nd (Group A) | Semi-finalists | Jithin M.S.
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3 |
| 2019–20 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 2nd (Group A) | Champions | Shaiborlang Kharpan
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4 |
| 2020–21 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 4th (Group B) | DNQ | Nihal Sudheesh Sreekkuttan V S
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2 |
| 2021–22 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 20 | 9 | 9th (Group B) | DNQ | ||
Kit manufacturers and Shirt sponsors
edit| Period | Kit Manufacturer | Shirt Prime Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2017—2018 | Admiral Sportswear | Muthoot Group |
| 2018—2020 | SIX5SIX | |
| 2020—21 | Reyaur Sports | BYJU'S |
| 2021— | SIX5SIX | BYJU'S |
Youth and academy
editThe Kerala Blasters youth system known as KBFC Young Blasters currently consists of 3 teams from 3 different age groups, the Under-17 (previously U-18), Under-15 and Under-13.[16] The U-18 team had previously participated in the Elite league, which is the top division of youth football in India[16] Similarly, the U-15 team had played in the Hero Juniors League and the junior most team, the U-13 team, had played in the Hero Sub-Juniors League respectively. Players from the under-17 team are promoted into the reserve team based on their performance.
History
editInception and early years: 2015–2019
editIn association with the Kerala Football Association, the Kerala Blasters announced the opening of 25 football schools throughout Kerala.[17] In addition to the schools, the club announced that they would also hold weekend grassroots leagues for the children of under-10 to under-16 and the start of a residential academy in the future.[17] The first Kerala Blasters Football School was inaugurated on 11 August 2015 at Dr. Ambedkar Stadium Kochi after 15 months which the club was founded.[18] Later, three more schools were opened in Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Thrissur as a part of the club's new youth academy system. Former Irish International Terry Phelan was appointed as the head of the grassroots.[19] In 2017, Thangboi Singto was appointed as the technical director of the youth.[20] In the same year itself, their U-18 and U-15 teams began to participate in the Elite League and Juniors League respectively. The U-18 team became the runners up of the 2017–18 Youth League in their first ever appearance while the U-15 side managed to reach the play-offs. In 2018, the U-13 side started to participate in the Sub-Juniors League.[21]
KB Young Blasters: 2019–present
editIn 2019, Kerala Blasters rejuvenated their youth system. They launched the KB Young Blasters and appointed Mario Marinică as the technical director of the youth.[22] As a part of this, a residential academy was also launched for the first time in club's history.[23] The Blasters also announced that they will launch India's first ever goalkeeping academy in Kochi headed by John Burridge.[24][25] As a part of KB Young Blasters, the club also started the Young Ambassador Program in September 2020. It focus on the promising youngsters from the club's Young Blasters centers across Kerala to make them oriented, trained and equipped with adequate skill and technique, to be the face and voice of the club in the future.[26]
On 16 October 2020, the Blasters announced a five-year partnership agreement with "Sporthood", which is a network of sports centres. The Young Blasters program is now termed as "Young Blasters – Sporthood Academy", that imparts a Kerala Blasters verified performance training curriculum to kids, reviewed and audited by the club's experts from time to time.[27] On 16 January 2021, the club announced the association of "FC Imphal City", the first academy from Manipur to play in the Hero Indian Elite League with the Young Blasters – Sporthood Academy.[28] This was the first time that the Blasters expanded their grassroot system outside of Kerala.[29] In February 2021, the club's senior team assistant manager Tomasz Tchórz took over as the Technical advisor/director role at the Blasters.[30]
On 5 July 2022, the club announced that their academy programme has crossed 3,000 admissions, which was the highest number of admissions ever achieved by a football academy in Kerala.[31]
The sports Kerala-Kerala Blasters academy
editOn 16 September 2021, Kerala Blasters launched the Sports Kerala-Kerala Blasters academy in association with the Government of Kerala.[32] As part of a five-year deal, the Blasters is managing a residential football academy for the U-14, U-17 and U-20 categories for boys at the GV Raja Sports School, Thiruvananthapuram.[33][34]
Youth squads
editKerala Blasters U-17
editKerala Blasters Under-17 team currently participates in the Ernakulam District Youth League under-17 division. They had played the Elite League in the past. They are also the second reserve team of the club and is coached by Noor Alam. The team's best performance came in 2018 as they finished finalists in the 2017–18 season of the elite league.
Current squad
edit- As of 14 September 2022[35]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Elite Youth League U18 statistics of Kerala Blasters U18
| Season | Position | Top Scorer | Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Runners-up | Adharsh AS | 8 | First Appearance |
| 2018–19 | Playoffs | Surag Chhetri | 9 |
Kerala Blasters U-15
editKerala Blasters Under-15 side currently participates in the Ernakulam District Youth League. They had played the Hero Juniors League (Elite U15) and the Kerala U15 Academy League in the past. The team had a good run in the 2018–19 season of the Hero Juniors League as they made it to the semi-finals of the competition. The team is currently head coached by Rohan Shah, who also serves as the assistant manager of the under-18 team of the Blasters.
Current squad
edit- As of 14 September 2022[36]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Hero Juniors League statistics of Kerala Blasters U15
| Season | Position | Top Scorer | Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Playoffs | Joshua NJ, Anandu N | 3 | First Appearance |
| 2018–19 | Semi-finals | Christopher Rajkumar | 10 |
Kerala Blasters U-13
editThe Under-13 side of the Blasters currently plays in the Ernakulam District Youth League under-13 division. The team had played the Hero Sub-juniors League (Elite U13) in the past.
Current squad
edit- As of 14 September 2022[37]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Hero Sub-Juniors League statistics of Kerala Blasters U13
| Season | Position | Top Scorer | Goals | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Round 3 | Lian Thangkhum | 4 | First Appearance |
Current technical staff
editAs of 6 August 2023
| Role | Name | Refs. |
|---|---|---|
| Academy Director & Grassroots Head | Rajah Rizwan
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[38] |
| Reserves Head Coach |  Tomasz Tchórz
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[39] |
| U-18 Head Coach | Noor Alam
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| U-18 Assistant Coach & U-15 Head Coach | Rohan Shah
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| U-15 Assistant Coach & U-13 Head Coach | Vacant | |
| Reserves Fitness Coach |  Tiago Matos
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| Reserves Goalkeeping Coach | Rafał Kwiecień
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| Reserves Physiotherapist | Anadhu S Kumar
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[40] |
| U-15 & U-13 Goalkeeping Coach | Munavar. E
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| U-15 & U-13 Physiotherapist | Sayid Anvar
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Technical directors of youth
edit| Time span | Name |
|---|---|
| 2015–2016 |  Terry Phelan
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| 2017–2019 | Thangboi Singto
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| 2019–2021 |  Mario Marinică
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| 2021– | Tomasz Tchorz
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Honours
editReserves
edit- Kerala Premier League
- Champions (1): 2019–20
- RF Development League
- Runners-up (1): 2022
- Bandodkar Trophy
- Runners-up (1): 2024
Youth
editU18
- AIFF Youth League
- Runners-up (1): 2017–18
- Kerala Youth League U18
- Winners (1):2023[41]
U15
- KYPD Chakolas Gold Trophy
- Winners (1): 2024
References
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- ^ "'Credit where it is due' - Kerala Blasters are the only ISL side to top I-League 2nd division group". www.goal.com. Archived from the original on 28 June 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
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- ^ "Durand Cup: Kerala Blasters crash out after defeat to Mohammedan in quarters". OnManorama. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
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- ^ "Spurred by new residential academy, Kerala Blasters gear-up for Hero Junior League semi-final". Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ Tennyson, Rayson (8 July 2019). "Kerala Blasters to start India's first goalkeeping academy". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ^ "ISL: Kerala Blasters' John Burridge out to repeat his legacy in Indian football". www.goal.com. Archived from the original on 6 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
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- ^ "Kerala Blasters join hands with Sporthood for grassroots and youth development". Khel Now. 17 October 2020. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
- ^ "Young Blasters-Sporthood Academy Join Hands With Fc Imphal City". Kerala Blasters FC. 16 January 2021. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "YOUNG BLASTERS-SPORTHOOD ACADEMY JOIN HANDS WITH FC IMPHAL CITY - Malayalam MyKhel". malayalam.mykhel.com (in Malayalam). 16 January 2021. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
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