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Kerala Blasters have been home to some of the biggest names in world football since the Indian Super League's inception in 2014. In six seasons, the Kerala Blasters have played the ISL final twice (in 2014 and 2016). Additionally, they are well-known for the enormous fan support they enjoy.
The Kochi-based outfit has seen countless players plying their trade for the club as the side has showcased a propensity to revamp the core of the side. At times, it has worked a charm as players have left the club as fan favourites, despite being unheralded at the beginning.
On the flip side, the players that have departed the club have endured mixed fortunes. While some players have found success after leaving Kerala Blasters, there have been a few who have failed to replicate their heroics elsewhere.
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Here, we will look at five former Kerala Blasters players who failed after leaving.
#5 Slavisa Stojanovic
Blasters signed Slavisa Stojanovic for the 2018/19 edition of the ISL. He led the attack admirably alongside Matej Popltanik, scoring 4 goals from 16 matches. Though the team did not enjoy a memorable season, Stojanovic ended as the club's top-scorer.
He was known to have a multi-year contract but was not part of the team this season. The striker, who represented the Blasters Reserve team in the Kerala Premier League (KPL) last year, has not been associated with any club after leaving Kochi.
Despite finishing as the team's top-scorer in the 2018-19 season, Stojanovic failed to grab a better deal to prolong his Indian adventure.
#4 Gurwinder Singh
The first season of the ISL saw Gurwinder Singh guarding the heart of the Blasters defence alongside Cedric Hengbart. The defender, who was on loan from East Bengal, featured in 11 matches throughout the season and attracted a lot of praise with his impeccable performances.
He stayed on loan at the Blasters for two more seasons but went down the pecking order due to injuries and the availability of better options for managers. Gurwinder finally made a move to NorthEast United FC in 2018.
Though he rejoined East Bengal earlier this year, the centre-back could play only two matches owing to an injury. The 34-year-old has looked out of shape since the 2014 season and has endured a steep fall from grace.
#3 CK Vineeth
CK Vineeth was pretty prolific during his time at Kerala Blasters. Though the Indian doesn't represent as lethal a striking option nowadays, his contributions at the Blasters would forever be etched in the club's folklore. On numerous occasions, the local hero bailed out the team by popping up with crucial goals.
Vineeth scored 11 goals across 4 seasons before moving on loan to Chennaiyin FC in the 2018 winter transfer window. However, he could only register one goal in the ISL for the Marina Machans.
Before the start of the 2019-20 edition, he completed a permanent transfer to Jamshedpur FC. The 31-year-old played 10 matches and scored once, which was incidentally against the Blasters at Kochi on the 13th of December, 2019.
Thus, it is fair to say that Vineeth's goal-scoring prowess has been on a downward spiral since his departure from the Kerala Blasters.
#2 Antonio German
Although Antonio German played for multiple clubs after leaving the Blasters, he enjoyed very little success in those spells. After a splendid 2015 season with the Kochi-based side, where he scored 6 goals and provided 3 assists, the striker re-joined the side for their next campaign.
However, he could only muster 2 assists in 2016. The fans still applauded the Englishman for his telling impact, though that wasn't enough for the club to offer him an extension. German played for two clubs in the lower divisions of England before a move to Gokulam Kerala in 2018.
After scoring 2 goals in 6 matches, he terminated his contract citing personal reasons and has been plying his trade in Malaysia since. The 28-year-old, without doubt, has not managed to recreate the goal-scoring form he enjoyed at the Blasters.
#1 Courage Pekuson
Courage Pekuson is another player who is without a club after parting ways with the Blasters in 2019. He was signed in 2017 and represented the club 30 times in the ISL. In the process, he registered 2 goals and 5 assists.
In his first season, the 25-year-old managed to dictate the game from the centre of the park and had a huge impact. However, in his second campaign, Pekuson started only six games.
After failing to secure a spot in the Eelco Schattorie reign, he is currently without a club and has spent an entire season on the side-lines.
