Kerala Blasters FC confirmed the sacking of head coach Mikael Stahre along with assistant coaches Björn Wesström and Frederico Pereira Morais on 16 December 2024. Stahre and his coaching team were appointed ahead of the 2024-25 season, but Kerala's upsetting performance in the Indian Super League recent matches led to their departure midway through the season. 

Kerala Blasters has suffered an unprecedented series of results in their last seven ISL matches, winning only one amongst them. The side faced a shocking defeat against Mohun Bagan in their last outing on Saturday as the Kolkata side snatched all three points in the final minutes. 

🚨 CLUB STATEMENT 🚨

Kerala Blasters FC confirms that Head Coach Mikael Stahre, along with Assistant Coaches Björn Wesström and Frederico Morais, have left their respective roles with immediate effect.

Read the full statement on the club website ⏬#KBFC

— Kerala Blasters FC (@KeralaBlasters) December 16, 2024

Kerala Blasters' authority finally ran out of patience and decided to part ways with Stahre and his staff and the club currently stands in the 10th position on the league table, having earned 11 points in 12 matches. The club confirmed that the reserve team's head coach Tomasz Tchórz, along with assistant coach TG Purushothaman, will take charge of the first team on an interim basis until a new head coach is appointed.

ℹ️ Till the new appointment is confirmed, Kerala Blasters FC's Reserve Team Head Coach and Head of Youth Development, Tomasz Tchórz and assistant coach, TG Purushothaman will take over the responsibility of managing the First Team. #KBFC #KeralaBlasters pic.twitter.com/G3Nese0CFl

— Kerala Blasters FC (@KeralaBlasters) December 17, 2024

However, the speculations regarding the next head coach appointment for Kerala have already been started. As it has been confirmed that a new coach will be appointed in two or three weeks, there have been many reports and rumours about who will be the next Kerala gaffer. Sportz Point explores the names that have strongly come up and also the rumours. 

Antonio Lopez Habas

90ndstoppage have exclusively confirmed that Kerala Blasters are pushing for Antonio Lopez Habas to appoint him as the next head coach. The current Inter Kashi boss has been shortlisted by Kerala Blasters and soon they may open talks with him. 

The Spanish manager needs no introduction to Indian football fans. Habas is arguably the most successful coach in ISL history, with 2 ISL Cups and one ISL league shield brightening his profile. The 67-year-old manager led Mohun Bagan SG to their maiden league shield title last season before I-League side Inter Kashi roped him in ahead of the 2024-25 season. 

Antonio Lopez Habas is one of the names being considered by Kerala Blasters FC as their next head coach, can exclusively confirm! ✅🇪🇸

ISL Shield & 2x ISL Cup winner is highly appreciated by the club. 👏

Habas recently joined I-League club Inter Kashi. #90ndstoppage pic.twitter.com/6chmQAol0z

— 90ndstoppage (@90ndstoppage) December 17, 2024

Habas is one of the most experienced coaches in Indian football and may fit as a good option for the Kerala side, but signing him will be very difficult. Inter Kashi has aimed to build a passionate project with Habas at the helm, and the I-League side will not be keen to release him. 

Sergio Lobera 

The current Odisha FC head coach Sergio Lobera is another name who has reportedly been shortlisted by Kerala Blasters. According to Malayala Manorama, Kerala Blasters are in a 'desperate attempt' to bring the 47-year-old Spanish as the new head coach. 

Sergio Lobera, who is the current boss of another ISL side Odisha FC, is one of the most decorated coaches in Indian football recently. Lobera coached FC Goa to win the Super Cup in the 2018-19 season which was his maiden silverware in Indian football. Lobera also won the ISL League shield and ISL Cup both in the 2020-21 season with Mumbai City FC.

Sergio Lobera new Coach??

Decision within 2 weeks#KBFC #KeralaBlasters
Reported by Malayala Manorama pic.twitter.com/5t34vPSfzD

— JAY (@jaycibby) December 17, 2024

Another source reported that Kerala may push for him again in the summer of 2025 as a move in the winter transfer window in January 2025 looks very unlikely. His tenure at Odisha will also depend on his current club's performance in the ongoing season. 

The Rumours debunked

Ivan Vukomanovic is not on the shortlist of coaches at Kerala Blasters. Des Buckingham is also a name that is wrongly doing the rounds. KBFC are expected to bring in a coach in next few weeks.#IndianFootball #ISL #KBFC

— Marcus Mergulhao (@MarcusMergulhao) December 16, 2024

Des Buckingham

Rumours have suggested that former Mumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham is in talks with Kerala Blasters for the vacant position. The 39-year-old Englishman has just left his last position as the head coach of the EFL Championship side Oxford United on 15 December 2024.

Buckingham enjoyed great success during his two-year stint in India. He won the 2022-23 ISL league title with Mumbai City FC before leaving the club in November 2023. Mumbai City FC also qualified for the 2023-24 AFC Champions League Elite (formerly known as AFC Champions League) under the managerial radar of Des Buckingham, and the coach left a great mark in Indian football. 

However, there has been no authentic news yet about Buckingham's rumoured return to India as Kerala's head coach. Renowned Times of India journalist Marcus Mergulhao has also confirmed that this news is 'wrongly doing the rounds'. Without any further development, Buckingham is unlikely to return to India.  

Ivan Vukomanovic

Kerala fans are clamoring for former Kerala boss Ivan Vukomanovic, who left the club earlier this year in April 2024. Vukomanovic was in charge for 68 games with the club and won 29 out of them. The 47-year-old Serbian has not taken any other job since his dismissal from Kerala and is currently available as a free agent. 

Ivan failed to earn the ultimate glory with Kerala Blasters but became a fan-favourite among the Kerala supporters. During his 3-year spell in India, he took the side to the 2021-22 ISL final and three back-to-back playoff spots. 

Ivan Vukomanović 🗣️“I'm still catching up on blasters match results over the internet & as a former coach, as a person who loves the club, it is very sad that we have not been able to win this season.” @ManoramaDaily #KBFC pic.twitter.com/ExpB2zbQc2

— KBFC XTRA (@kbfcxtra) December 18, 2024

However, Marcus Mergulhao also confirmed that Vukomanovic is not considered an ideal option for the Kerala team. The infamous walk-out incident affected the club severely, as the club had to pay a fine of 4 crores due to that incident. The hefty sanction led to the suspension of the Kerala Blasters' Women's team for 'financial constraints'. These two incidents quite block Ivan's return to the club. 

On a vibrant Saturday evening, April 26, 2025, Mohun Bagan SG’s youthful squad clinched a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Kerala Blasters FC in the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 quarter-finals, securing their spot in the semi-finals.

The Mariners, boasting an all-Indian lineup save for Portuguese defender Nuno Reis, showcased their attacking flair with goals from Sahal Abdul Samad in the 22nd minute and Suhail Ahmad Bhat in the 51st. Despite a late strike from Kerala Blasters’ Sreekuttan MS in the 94th minute, Mohun Bagan SG held firm, thanks to a stellar performance by goalkeeper Dheeraj Singh Moirangthem. Bastab Roy’s team now awaits the winner of the FC Goa vs. Punjab FC clash in the semi-final on April 30.

The match kicked off cautiously, with both sides probing without overcommitting. For the first 20 minutes, neither team managed to create clear chances. Then, Mohun Bagan SG sparked the game to life with a moment of brilliance.

Salahudheen Adnan dazzled down the right, weaving past Naocha Singh before delivering a pinpoint cross into the box. Sahal Abdul Samad, with a deft shoulder drop, shook off Ruivah Hormipam and delicately lifted the ball over goalkeeper Sachin Suresh to break the deadlock.

The goal jolted Kerala Blasters into action, and they pushed hard for an equaliser. Noah Sadaoui, fresh off a spectacular long-range goal against East Bengal, tried his luck from distance but sent the ball straight to Dheeraj Singh.

Read Also | India expresses formal interest to host the AFC Asian Cup 2031

The Blasters grew threatening from set pieces, particularly short corners. In the 30th minute, Sadaoui’s low cross after a quick one-two with Vibin Mohanan was cleared by Dippendu Biswas. Moments later, Hormipam’s looping cross nearly sneaked into the top corner, only for Dheeraj to tip it over.

Just before halftime, Mohammed Aimen cut in from the left and unleashed a curling shot that sailed narrowly over the bar, leaving the Blasters frustrated.

The second half began with Mohun Bagan SG striking early. In the 47th minute, Sachin Suresh pulled off a stunning save to deny Salahudheen in a one-on-one, but the warning went unheeded. Four minutes later, Ashique Kuruniyan tore down the left, breezed past Hormipam, and rolled a precise pass to Suhail Ahmad Bhat, who calmly slotted it home to double the lead.

From there, the game became the Dheeraj Singh show. Kerala Blasters threw everything forward, but the Mohun Bagan goalkeeper stood tall. Jesús Jiménez squandered two golden opportunities, blasting over the bar in the 65th minute and dragging a shot wide two minutes later. In the 70th minute, Dheeraj denied substitute Kwame Peprah’s angled effort, and with five minutes left, Peprah’s low cross found Jiménez, who couldn’t connect cleanly.

Read Also | Will Indian-Origin players ever get to play for India? AIFF keeps showing its aimless approach

Dheeraj’s heroics continued as he thwarted Peprah from point-blank range, with Amandeep clearing Ebindas Y’s follow-up off the line. The Blasters finally broke through in stoppage time when Jiménez set up Sreekuttan, who rifled a shot past Dheeraj. But the goal came too late to spark a comeback.

Salahudheen Adnan earned the Kalinga Player of the Match award for his electrifying performance.

Kerala Blasters FC started their Kalinga Super Cup 2025 on a high note by knocking out defending champions East Bengal by 2-0 in Bhubaneshwar on Sunday. Noah Sadaoui and Jesús Jiménez scored the goals for the Kerala Blasters as they outplayed the Kolkata side. 

With this defeat, East Bengal FC's season ended on a sad note after an overwhelming finish in the Indian Super League 2024-25. 

Kerala Blasters march on! 💥⚽

A dominant 2-0 win over East Bengal seals their spot in the Super 8. Next stop: a high-voltage clash against Mohun Bagan!#KBFC #BlastersOnTheRise #Super8Bound #keralablasters #SuperCup #mohunbagan #EastBengal #Indianfootball #Footballindia pic.twitter.com/ISfwWWWKly

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) April 20, 2025

Jesús Jiménez opened the scoring for Kerala as he found the back of the net from a penalty in the 40th minute of the match. In the second half, Noah Sadaoui extended the lead for the Manjapadas in the 64th minute to hand them an easy win. 

Blasters looked threatening from the word go as Jesus nearly scored from Noah's delivery in the second minute of the game. They kept on applying the pressure, but could not find the end result despite a few chances created by Noah. 

Noah Sadaoui's banger from outside the box in Kerala Blasters vs East Bengal FC match in Kalinga Super Cup 2025. pic.twitter.com/uWjrbpLMDZ

— Sportz Point (@sportz_point) April 20, 2025

But it wasn't until the 40th minute that Jesus Jimenez stepped up to take the penalty after Gill made a foul inside the box. 

In the 64th minute, Noah scored a screamer of a goal to extend the lead, which was eventually good enough for them to qualify for the quarter-finals. 

Kerala Blasters will now face Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the quarter-final on 26th April. For those who do not know, Mohun Bagan SG will play from the quarter-final directly after they received a bye in the round of 16. 

"Today, the team showed me that they still have something inside, and they wanted to compete and do their best. I’m proud of them cuz the work they’ve done is amazing. We’ll have to see about Luna. He felt that it wasn’t good and asked for a change. We’ll see," Balsters' coach David Catala said after the win. 

The Kalinga Super Cup 2025 has undergone significant schedule adjustments following the withdrawal of Churchill Brothers FC Goa. The Round of 16 match against Mohun Bagan SG, originally set for an 8 PM IST kick-off on April 20, has been cancelled.

As a result, Mohun Bagan SG will advance directly with a bye.

Mohun Bagan SG, who recently clinched both the ISL 2024-25 Shield and Cup, will now face the winners of the rescheduled Round of 16 match between Kerala Blasters FC and East Bengal FC in the quarter-finals on April 26.

The Kerala Blasters FC vs. East Bengal FC clash has been moved to an 8 PM IST kick-off on April 20, 2025, ensuring the tournament progresses smoothly despite the unexpected withdrawal.

Here is the new schedule of the Kalinga Super Cup 2025

Here are the updated fixtures of the #KalingaSuperCup 🗓️#IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/TsAIFUKvEP

— Indian Football Team (@IndianFootball) April 18, 2025

Mohun Bagan Super Giant came back from trailing to beat Bengaluru FC 2-1 in the Indian Super League 2024-25 Final. 

The Blues took the lead in the 49th minute of the game through an own goal from the Mariners. However, the 2024-25 ISL League Shield Winners turned the tables around in the 72nd minute when they pulled off the equalizer from the spotkick.

In the added extra time, Mohun Bagan SG netted the winner in the 96th minute to ensure their historic league double: winning the shield and the cup in the same season!

Read Also | Mohun Bagan SG vs Bengaluru FC ISL 2024-25 Final Highlights | Mohun Bagan complete the league double, wins the ISL Cup coming from behind | FT MBSG 2-1 BFC

So, it's time we look at the ISL winners' List since 2014.

Read Also: Mohun Bagan vs Mumbai City FC ISL 2023-24 Final Highlights | Mumbai win the ISL 2023-24 beating Mohun Bagan by 3-1

Who won the first ISL title?

In the inaugural season, ATK, formerly known as Atlético de Kolkata, were crowned the winner as they defeated Kerala Blasters 1-0 in the final. Mohammed Rafique scored an injury-time goal to win the game for his side under head coach Antonio Lopez Habas. The 2014 season featured eight teams, each playing 14 matches during the regular season.

Who have won the most ISL titles?

ATK have been the most dominant team, having secured the title three times. They were dissolved and merged with Mohun Bagan SG (ATK Mohun Bagan previously), who have won the title twice, in the 2024-25 and in the 2022-23 season. 

Chennaiyin FC and Mumbai City FC are the teams who have lifted the titles twice. Hyderabad FC and Bengaluru FC have also won one title each.

Read Also: ISL 2023-24: Top Goal Scorers List

ISL Winners List since 2014

Hello and welcome to Sportz Point's coverage of the Indian Super League 2024-25 Final.

Tonight, we will bring you all the live updates, news, and live scores of the ultimate showdown between Mohun Bagan SG and Bengaluru FC at the iconic Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. 

Mohun Bagan SG will leave no stone unturned to complete the 'league double' by lifting the ISL Cup after clinching the ISL 2024-25 League Shield, whereas Bengaluru FC will look to avenge their defeat in the 2022-23 season's final to the same opponents and win the Cup.

Read Also | Mohun Bagan SG vs Bengaluru FC ISL 2024-25 Final Match Preview: Head-to-head Stats, Previous Records

As the intense drama is all set to unfold tonight for the last time this season, just sit back and enjoy the match as we provide you with all the real-time updates, team news, live scores, and match commentary.

This is Soumit Bhattacharya, who will bring you all the updates of the match from the web desk.

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