Kerala Blasters sack Catala, Spaniard departs as first head coach without a win in ISL

Kerala Blasters have sacked head coach David Catala after a disastrous start to the Indian Super League (ISL) season, with a single point from six matches. The club said on Friday that the decision to part ways was 'mutual'.

The Spaniard had been on borrowed time after the Blasters lost the first four rounds, but a late equaliser in East Bengal last week seemed to offer a lifeline. It was the first point secured by the club this season. However, a 1-3 defeat at home, Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kochi, to Punjab FC on March 21, was the last straw.

The club also announced the exits of Strength and Conditioning Coach Aleix Mora and Goalkeeping Coach Alex Ortiz Sanchez.

Catala was absent from the post-match press conference, with his assistant, Chandrasekhar Rao Chinta, sent to face the media.

Catala departs as the first Blasters coach not to manage a league win. The club has had nine full-time managers since its inception in 2014, and every head coach until Catala had managed at least one win during their tenure.

Former England international David James, who was the club’s first head coach, returned for a second spell in 2018. James had guided the Blasters to their maiden final. The club reached two more finals under Steve Coppell and Ivan Vukomanovic, but has yet to win the league title.

The Blasters appointed Catala last March ahead of the Super Cup. The club had finished outside the playoff spots in 2024-25, leading to a mid-season dismissal of head coach Mikael Stahre. Following the sacking of the Swede, the club appointed assistant coach T G Purushothaman in an interim role. Thrissur native Purushothaman left the Blasters this season to take up the role of head coach at Odisha FC.