Klub sepak bola Kerala Blasters menghadapi FC Goa dalam pertandingan terakhir Indian Super League (ISL) musim 2025-2026 di Stadion Internasional Jawaharlal Nehru, Kochi, pada Senin, 18 Mei 2026. Laga ini berlangsung di bawah bayang-bayang krisis finansial yang mengancam kelangsungan operasional klub akibat belum adanya mitra komersial resmi dari Federasi Sepak Bola Seluruh India (AIFF).
Pertandingan berakhir dengan skor imbang setelah Kevin Yoke memecah kebuntuan lewat golnya pada menit ke-48 untuk Kerala Blasters. Gol tersebut tercipta melalui aksi individu dari sisi kiri kotak penalti sebelum melepaskan tembakan ke pojok kanan atas gawang FC Goa. Sebelumnya, kedua tim bermain ketat sejak babak pertama dengan beberapa peluang dari Vibin Mohanan untuk tuan rumah dan Dejan Drazic dari tim tamu.
Manajer interim Kerala Blasters, Ashley Westwood, menyatakan bahwa pihak manajemen telah mengajukan pertemuan untuk membahas masa depannya secara permanen. Namun, dirinya memilih fokus menyelesaikan sisa pertandingan musim ini sebelum membicarakan kontrak baru.
"To be honest, the management have asked me a couple of times for meetings," kata Ashley Westwood, Head Coach Kerala Blasters.
Sikap tersebut diambil oleh pria asal Inggris itu karena masa depan kompetisi sepak bola di India saat ini masih belum menemui titik kejelasan.
"But me personally, when I came here, I said, listen, I am coming to help. I have got seven games, let me focus on seven games, let me give as much as I can. And when everything is finished, when the dust settles, you know, we can sit down and talk about the future," ujar Ashley Westwood, Head Coach Kerala Blasters.
Westwood menilai spekulasi mengenai posisinya tidak perlu dibahas selama format dan kepastian liga belum ditetapkan oleh federasi.
"I am one of these people who is very straight, very honest and I do not want to enter any conversations until we know the future. And at the minute, as it stands, no one knows the future of Indian football. So, why speak about ifs, buts, maybes? Once all the facts are in, then I will be ready to talk," tegas Ashley Westwood, Head Coach Kerala Blasters.
Hingga kejelasan regulasi keluar, jajaran staf kepelatihan dan pemain akan tetap menjalankan program latihan serta sisa kewajiban profesional mereka.
"But until then, I concentrate on football and you never know when your last day can be in any job, in any position. So, we just keep training, keep playing and once we know the landscape, let us sit and talk," tambah Ashley Westwood, Head Coach Kerala Blasters.
Sebelum jalannya laga kontra FC Goa, Westwood juga mengingatkan skuadnya untuk menjaga momentum positif dan memberikan performa maksimal demi menghindari penyesalan di akhir musim.
"They are a top-ranked side and have some very good Indian national players and experienced foreign players. We have to go out and give our best and try to win the match," ucap Ashley Westwood, Head Coach Kerala Blasters.
Menurutnya, hasil akhir tidak menjadi masalah selama seluruh elemen tim telah berjuang keras di lapangan.
"Nothing's guaranteed in football. You have to work hard first and foremost. You have to match physicality and physical outputs. But at the end of the day, let's not finish the season on a down. We've been on an upward trajectory since the day I got here and just keep the momentum going, give it your all and let's not sit in two or three days' time where we're regretting things that we didn't give our everything to get the result. If we don't get it, that's fine as long as we give it our best," jelas Ashley Westwood, Head Coach Kerala Blasters.
Di kubu lawan, pelatih FC Goa, Manolo, mengonfirmasi akan melakukan rotasi pemain dalam susunan starter saat menghadapi laga tandang di Kochi.
"Some changes will be there among the starters but that’s not important," kata Manolo, Head Coach FC Goa.
Manolo memprediksi pertandingan berjalan sengit karena motivasi tinggi dari kubu tuan rumah serta dukungan penuh dari suporter setempat.
"We need to be competitive (regardless of the changes). We face a team that is most motivated in the competition, even more than the teams who are fighting for the title. They have changed some foreign players and they are now better," ujar Manolo, Head Coach FC Goa.
Atmosfer stadion dinilai akan menghidupkan jalannya laga perpisahan musim ini bagi kedua kesebelasan.
"They are playing with confidence. The crowd is also there and now more supporters will be at the stadium. It will be a nice farewell game of the season," tutur Manolo, Head Coach FC Goa.
Berdasarkan data klasemen ISL, seluruh klub peserta terkecuali East Bengal telah mengajukan proposal bersama kepada AIFF, di mana pertemuan lanjutan dijadwalkan berlangsung pada 22 Mei 2026 guna membahas penolakan tawaran kemitraan komersial dari pihak luar sebesar Rp64 crore per tahun.
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 East Bengal | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 28 | 10 | 18 | 23 |
| 2 Mohun Bagan | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 23 |
| 3 Bengaluru | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 23 |
| 4 Punjab | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 22 |
| 5 Mumbai City | 12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 22 |
| 6 Jamshedpur | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 21 |
| 7 Goa | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 4 | 20 |
| 8 Kerala Blasters | 13 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 16 | -2 | 17 |
| 9 Inter Kashi | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 15 | -5 | 13 |
| 10 NorthEast United | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 21 | -7 | 13 |
| 11 Sporting Delhi | 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 15 | -3 | 11 |
| 12 Odisha | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 22 | -8 | 10 |
| 13 Chennaiyin | 13 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 21 | -12 | 9 |
| 14 Mohammedan | 12 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 30 | -23 | 3 |
