Key facts
- Kerala Blasters’ first home match was on 6 November 2014 against FC Goa at Kaloor, a 1–0 win watched by 49,517 fans, according to Wikipedia.
- The club reached the ISL final in 2014, 2016 and 2021–22, finishing runners-up each time.
- The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium opened in 1996 and is owned by the GCDA; its capacity is now given as 41,000.
- In February 2026 the GCDA raised the Blasters’ match-day rent from about ₹2 lakh to ₹4.2 lakh plus GST days before the first home game, Onmanorama reported.
- The 2025–26 ISL started only in February 2026, with 13 matches per team and no playoffs; the Blasters finished eighth.
The stadium before the Blasters
The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium at Kaloor opened in 1996 and is owned and run by the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA). Built for about 1,00,000 spectators, it drew its record crowd for India against Iraq at the 1997 Nehru Cup, according to Wikipedia. Capacity was cut over the years for safety and is now given as 41,000. It also hosted one-day internationals from 1998 to 2014 and was renovated as a venue for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, when FIFA rules limited it to 29,000 seats.
For anyone in north Kalamassery the stadium is easy to reach: it sits beside JLN Stadium metro station on the line that runs through Kalamassery. Our football and cricket guide covers match days.
Season by season
| Season | League finish | Playoffs | Top scorer | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 4th | Runners-up | Iain Hume (5) | Wikipedia |
| 2015 | 8th | Did not qualify | Chris Dagnall (6) | Wikipedia |
| 2016 | 2nd | Runners-up | C. K. Vineeth (5) | Wikipedia |
| 2017–18 | 6th | Did not qualify | Iain Hume (5) | Wikipedia |
| 2018–19 | 9th | Did not qualify | Matej Poplatnik (4) | Wikipedia |
| 2019–20 | 7th | Did not qualify | Bartholomew Ogbeche (15) | Wikipedia |
| 2020–21 | 10th | Did not qualify | Jordan Murray (7) | Wikipedia |
| 2021–22 | 4th | Runners-up | Jorge Pereyra Díaz, Álvaro Vázquez (8) | Wikipedia |
| 2022–23 | 5th | Knockout round | Dimitrios Diamantakos (12) | Wikipedia |
| 2023–24 | 5th | Knockout round | Dimitrios Diamantakos (16) | Wikipedia |
| 2024–25 | 8th | Did not qualify | Noah Sadaoui (14) | Wikipedia |
| 2025–26 | 8th | No playoffs held | — | Wikipedia |
2014–2017: the crowd years
The club was founded on 27 May 2014 for the first ISL season, and David James was appointed its first head coach on 13 August 2014. After five away matches, the Blasters played at Kaloor for the first time on 6 November 2014, beating FC Goa 1–0 in front of 49,517 fans. A match against Chennaiyin on 30 November 2014 drew more than 61,000 (Wikipedia gives both 61,323 and 61,234). The club reached the final that season.
Under Steve Coppell in 2016 the club again reached the final, which was played at Kaloor against ATK. Wikipedia notes that in the early years the club averaged over 55,000 a game, among the highest club attendances outside Europe. Capacity limits linked to the U-17 World Cup brought attendance down to around 37,500 in 2017.
2018–2022: thinner crowds and seasons in Goa
Results dipped after 2017, and so did crowds: Wikipedia records average attendances of 16,432 in 2018–19 and 17,500 in 2019–20. Coaches changed often, from René Meulensteen and David James to Nelo Vingada, Eelco Schattorie and Kibu Vicuña.
Because of Covid-19, the 2020–21 season was played in Goa behind closed doors, and the 2021–22 season was also staged in Goa. Under Ivan Vukomanović, appointed on 17 June 2021, the Blasters reached the 2021–22 final, so the club’s best run in years happened with no home matches at Kaloor. Our Covid-19 archive covers that period locally.
2022–2026: back home, and the rent disputes
Home matches returned to Kochi for 2022–23. The club made the knockout round in 2022–23 and 2023–24, and Vukomanović left by mutual consent on 26 April 2024. Mikael Stahre coached from May to December 2024, David Català from March 2025 to March 2026, and Ashley Westwood took over in March 2026.
Money for the stadium has been a recurring issue. In November 2019 Onmanorama reported the club disputing GCDA claims over maintenance costs and a 20 per cent rent increase it said it had not been told about. The dispute flared again in February 2026. GCDA chairman K. Chandran Pillai had announced on 11 February a one-time cut in rent to about ₹2 lakh plus GST per match, down from ₹8.4 lakh the previous season. On 19 February the GCDA demanded ₹4.2 lakh plus GST and a security deposit of about ₹22.8 lakh. On the eve of the first home match against Mumbai City, the GCDA evicted club and AIFF officials, and the pre-match press conference moved online. Late on 21 February the club confirmed the match would go ahead on 22 February and thanked Industries Minister P. Rajeev, the GCDA chairman and MLA P. V. Srinijin for a resolution, Onmanorama reported.
The 2025–26 season itself was unusual. Uncertainty over the ISL calendar led the club to suspend operations temporarily in November 2025; the league finally started in February 2026 with 13 matches per team and no playoffs, and the Blasters finished eighth, according to Wikipedia. A 2025 StadiumDB report cited by Wikipedia described roof deterioration and safety-licensing concerns at the stadium.
Reports differ slightly on the February 2026 figures (₹4.2 lakh or ₹4.25 lakh; ₹22.8 lakh or ₹22.85 lakh). We give Onmanorama’s numbers.
Match nights from the NAD signal
A Blasters home game fills the metro from Aluva to Kaloor, and late trains back to Kalamassery are busy. For football fans staying at Ashraf Gents Hostel on NAD Road, the metro is usually the simplest way there and back. For the supporters’ side of this story, read our Blasters fan culture page, and for the 2022 national win, the Santosh Trophy archive. More is in the Kalamassery history archive.
Frequently asked questions
When did Kerala Blasters play their first home match at Kaloor?
On 6 November 2014, beating FC Goa 1–0 before 49,517 fans, according to Wikipedia.
How many ISL finals have Kerala Blasters played?
Three: 2014, 2016 and 2021–22. They finished runners-up each time.
Why did the Blasters not play in Kochi in 2020–21?
The ISL held the 2020–21 season, and the 2021–22 season, in Goa because of Covid-19, so there were no home matches at Kaloor.
What was the February 2026 rent dispute about?
The GCDA, which owns the stadium, first set rent at about ₹2 lakh plus GST per match, then demanded ₹4.2 lakh plus a deposit days before the first home game. The match against Mumbai City went ahead on 22 February 2026 after a late settlement.
Who owns the Kaloor stadium?
The Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) owns and operates the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which opened in 1996.
Related guides
Sources
- Wikipedia: Kerala Blasters FC
- Wikipedia: List of Kerala Blasters FC seasons
- Wikipedia: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi)
- Onmanorama: Kerala Blasters refute GCDA charges (5 Nov 2019)
- Onmanorama: Shadow over Blasters’ first ISL home match after GCDA doubles rent (20 Feb 2026)
- Onmanorama: Kerala Blasters confirm first home match against Mumbai City (21 Feb 2026)
Facts about Ashraf Gents Hostel come from the hostel’s own profile and photos; rates are indicative and confirmed on the call. Last reviewed . How we write these guides: editorial notes. Map embeds © Google.
Cite this guide: Ashraf Gents Hostel. “Kerala Blasters at Kaloor: Season-by-Season since 2014.” Published 8 October 2026. https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/kerala-blasters-seasons-at-kaloor/ Plain-text (Markdown) version · quoting with a link back is welcome.