The long-standing outcry against Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters FC (KBFC) management by Manjappada, the club’s organised supporters’ group, has intensified.
The Blasters secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Punjab FC on January 5, despite being reduced to nine men after Milos Drincic and Aibanbha Dohling were sent off in the second half. However, the match saw away fans criticising the Hyderabad-based management with placards reading “Stop selling, start buying,” expressing their desire for more player acquisitions.
The fan group escalated its protest ahead of the match against Odisha FC on Monday, leading to police intervention. Following the game, Manjappada took to social media platform X, posting: “You can block the protests, but you can’t hide the truth: this team needs quality.”
In response to the criticism, Kerala Blasters issued a statement: “The club firmly believes in the right of fans to express their opinions peacefully, without restrictions, and has never suppressed such expression in safe zones that do not infringe on the experience and safety in public spaces.”
The statement also clarified that the club had no involvement in the police actions. “The narrative being widely spread in the public domain regarding the club instructing the police to carry out certain actions is wrong, misleading, and baseless. The club shall investigate, probe, and take appropriate action against those maligning its image with such accusations.”
Kerala Blasters is currently eighth in the ISL points table, with 20 points from 16 matches.
Content Source: sportstar.thehindu.com