Uncertainty over ISL future: Luna released by Blasters on loan!
It is the reflection of uncertainty over the ISL. Kerala Blasters has confirmed that it is releasing the team’s captain and one of the League’s most prominent strikers, Adrina Luna, on loan to an overseas club for the 2025-26 season! Blasters shared the news through a social media post where it confirmed that it was a mutually agreed arrangement between the player and the club. However, the ISL side didn’t confirm which team the Uruguayan midfielder will be joining. Luna joined Blasters in 2021 and has made 71 appearances across all competitions, scoring 15 goals. The ISL season, which typically begins in September, has been deferred, as the business model is still uncertain, following the expiry of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited. The uncertainty over the resumption of the League in the last few months has compelled a few high-profile exits, with FC Goa captain Borja Herrera leaving the club, saying that the situation made it ‘untenable’ for him to stay within Indian football. Bengaluru FC, meanwhile, has parted ways with both striker Edgar Mendez and manager Gerard Zaragoza during the delay in the season, while Odisha FC has parted with manager Sergio Lobera.
Kerala Blasters mull over pulling out of the ISL after Odisha FC; Clubs worried about no commercial partner and obtaining AFC slot
After Odisha FC, another ISL club, Kerala Blasters, is mulling pulling out of the country’s top-tier league, and they are reportedly planning to shut down! It is believed that the club has assessed that it could face losses of up to Rs. 40 crore if ISL runs a truncated season without a commercial partner, mainly due to no home matches, ticket revenue, or central income. Other ISL clubs also seem worried as AIFF’s centralised plan could cross Rs. 60 crore in costs. Goa leg alone is likely to be staged against the approximate expenditure of Rs. 42 crore. The clubs have to possibly pay Rs 2.5 crore each. Still, the ISL clubs seem to be worried about the fewer matches of a single-leg League and also anxious about whether the AFC will allot slots, and finally, no commercial partner has been roped in. So, the uncertainty grows as usual. Despite the uncertainty, ISL and I-League players based in Goa have reportedly been called for practice sessions. Most players based in Goa have already left to join their respective clubs.
