ISL 2021-22 runner-up Kerala Blasters' will fight back next year, believes coach Vukomanovic

Kerala Blasters FC head coach Ivan Vukomanovic was pleased with his team's season despite losing out on penalties to Hyderabad FC in the final of the Indian Super League (ISL) at the PJN Stadium in Goa on Sunday.

The Blasters were two minutes plus stoppage time away from winning the Hero ISL trophy for the first time in their history, but Hyderabad FC equalised through Sahil Tavora to force extra-time and later penalties and emerged victorious in the end.

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The Serbian head coach, though, was keen to look at the positives for his team this season and hopes to build on this in the future. In a post-match address to the media, Vukomanovic said, "We have to see this as a sport, and for me, it's a special feeling when you are playing in a final. It's a big part of your career. It's a big part of your life. So, when those things come to you, you should embrace them with a smile and joy."

"Of course, it's not easy when you lose on penalties. We can call it bad luck, but at the end of the day, we are pleased not just for today's performance but also pleased with the whole season. You know better than me that in the previous seasons, there were many disappointments," he added.

"At the beginning of the season, we started with difficulties with a loss against ATK Mohun Bagan and then we fought back. We were working hard, and I was proud that we played so many good games. These boys were starting to understand how we wanted to achieve things and wanted to play," Vukomanovic stated.

"We deserved to be in the final where nobody expected us to be. I think this is a great base to build on and to reinforce, become stronger and fight back next year," the Kerala Blasters coach expressed strongly.

Having lost the ISL final for a third time now, Kerala Blasters would be hoping for fortunes to change in the next season. When asked if the team feels the trophy is just not meant for them, coach Vukomanovic said, "I don't believe in bad luck. It was about penalties. If we see our points in the regular season, it was double than last season. We had so many wins, back-to-back clean sheets." 

"I think the boys did a great job. In the final, anything can happen. But we were happy to be in the final after six years. It was a great achievement. Everyone in Kerala should be happy, and the final should be an even bigger motivation to continue," he added.

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Sharing a word on the fans, who, despite the loss, continued to support Kerala Blasters, the coach said, "It was strange to come out of the stadium and see fans. We were trying to remember the last time we were in the stadium with the fans and couldn't remember. We were so pleased and grateful that they arrived from Kerala, and it was great to see them here. We were enjoying that today, and a big thank you to all of them."

Finally, when asked about how he would explain the defeat in the finals to the players who featured in such an occasion for the first time, Vukomanovic said, "In football, this is part and parcel of your career. They felt the way and saw the way they could achieve victory in this final." 

"So, hopefully, this will not be the only time they play in a final. I hope many of them will play more finals. But the good thing is when you work throughout the season, and you see all those things, then you know the recipe and know how it can be achieved. So this is the beauty of football, and I hope many of them you will see in more finals," the Kerala Blasters coach concluded.