Kerala Blasters FC avoided a last-minute stadium crisis ahead of their ISL clash against Mumbai City FC on Sunday. There was a rent dispute between KBFC and GCDA, which owns the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi, which is the home ground of the ISL team.
The Indian Super League (ISL) avoided a fresh crisis after Kerala Blasters FC were almost denied the right to play at their home ground just hours before their clash against Mumbai City FC.
The three-time ISL runners-up were set to host Mumbai City on Sunday, February 22, at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi. However, trouble began when the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), which owns the stadium, suddenly increased the rent by Rs 2.2 lakh per match just two days before the fixture.
The GCDA also demanded that the Blasters clear a balance amount of over Rs 22 lakh from last season’s deposit. The club was given a deadline of 4 pm on Saturday to settle the dues. Several meetings were held in the last two days before the deadline, but no solution was reached initially.
Kerala Blasters resolve the issue
The situation became serious on Saturday morning around 11:30 am. The routine
pre-match press conference was cancelled, and head coach David Catala, midfielder Rowllin Borges, and journalists were asked to leave the stadium by security personnel. The stadium gates were then locked and some of the offices set up by Kerala Blasters for match preparations were shut down. Even club officials and representatives of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) were asked to leave.
This created uncertainty just 24 hours before the match. However, relief finally came later in the day. The GCDA allowed the match to go ahead as scheduled after the club agreed to pay a total of Rs 28 lakh within a week. In a statement, Kerala Blasters said, “In the end, football is the winner. We will take to the field against Mumbai City FC tomorrow (Sunday) for our first home game of the season.”
ℹ️ An update#KeralaBlasters #KBFC #YennumYellow pic.twitter.com/DdxCyVBsvn
— Kerala Blasters FC (@KeralaBlasters) February 21, 2026
According to The Indian Express, the players were not affected by the developments. Both teams conducted their training sessions at the Blasters’ training facility, which is located around 10 km away from the stadium.
For now, the crisis has been avoided and the focus has shifted back to football. But the episode has once again highlighted the off-field challenges that clubs in the ISL continue to face despite the start of the league.
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