Kerala Blasters’ Women’s Team Suspended Due to Financial Sanctions by AIFF

Kerala Blasters have announced a temporary suspension of their Women’s team operations, owing to the financial sanctions levied on them by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) after the men’s team walkout in the Indian Super League semi-final last season.

The AIFF had imposed a Rs 4 crore fine on Kerala Blasters after they walked off in their match against Bengaluru FC in the ISL play-offs on March 3. The AIFF also rejected coach Ivan Vukomanovic’s appeal against the fine of Rs 10 lakh imposed on him for the incident.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Kerala Blasters said that “the club has decided to temporarily halt operations of its Women’s football team given the current financial status of the club. We believe that it is only prudent to focus on restoring the balance sheet before proceeding ahead with any new investments.”

The statement further said that Kerala Blasters regret the decision but are certain that this is a necessary step in order to ensure sustained growth and success in the long run. They wished the team and players well for their future careers and thanked them for being part of the club.

Kerala Blasters’ Women’s team had been a part of the Indian Women’s League since 2017, with considerable success. The team has won the league twice, in 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, and were the league runners-up in 2017-18.

However, owing to the financial sanctions imposed on them by the AIFF, the Blasters had to take this difficult decision. The club is now looking at ways of reducing their debt liabilities and restoring their balance sheet in order to re-invest in their teams