Indian football has talent but needs to look to Europe to get the system right: David Catala of Kerala Blasters

It wasn’t the best start. It wasn’t the most ideal situation.

But David Catala isn’t worried. Not yet.

Kerala Blasters have lost both their opening matches and on the eve of Sunday’s Indian Super League (ISL) match against Mumbai City FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, there was uncertainty over the match itself until late in the evening as the landowner wanted a higher rent. So it wasn’t just football on the coach’s mind.

In his first ISL campaign, the Spaniard is happy that his boys managed to put in a fighting performance against Mumbai City despite all the off-field drama.

READ | Chhangte’s goal gives Mumbai City the win while Blasters lose two in a row

“I asked them to forget everything else and concentrate on the game,” Catala said Sports stars here on Monday. «I told them that football is the only thing we can control. The other things are out of our control. Lihat juga cxv4. And this all happened after months of uncertainty, when the players didn’t know if the competition would even go ahead.»

Although Blasters lost the match 0-1, Catala said the team performed much better than in the opening match against Mohun Bagan Super Giant in Kolkata. “We are improving, but we need to do more, especially defensively,” he said. “But I am happy with the talents I have, both foreign and Indian.”

Nevertheless, he admitted that Adrian Luna was missed. The gifted Uruguayan was one of the biggest victims of the uncertainty in the ISL when he was loaned out to Indonesian club Persik Kediri.

“India has the football talent, but a lot still needs to be done organizationally,” Catala said. “I think India should look closely at the leagues in Europe and try to implement a similar system, especially in setting up academies and youth leagues.”

He believes that events like Super League can help Kerala. “I watched the matches and was impressed by the quality of football and the young Indian players such as Muhammad Ajsal and Ebindas, both of whom are with us at Blasters,” he said. “The level of the ISL is also high; I followed the competition before I came to India.”

He feels there is no reason why India should not play in the World Cup one day. “Given the population, India should be able to get enough top quality players,” he said. “And India should also take inspiration from the small countries that have qualified for the World Cup.”

Published on February 23, 2026