Super League Kerala (SLK) will kick off its second edition from Thursday (today) when defending champions Calicut FC meets Forca Kochi FC in a repeat of last year’s final at the EMS Corporation Stadium in Kozhikode. The first edition of the football tournament had made a big impact last year, with various teams receiving backing from film stars and other celebrities, and stadiums filled to capacity, indicating the sports entertainment vacuum in the state of Kerala. In this exclusive interview, Firoz Meeran, Managing Director of Super League Kerala, discusses how the League is viewed as a long-term investment and how it’ll grow as the years roll on.
Excerpts:
What was the thought process behind starting a league like SLK in Kerala?
The raw material for football was always available in Kerala. Along with West Bengal and Goa, Kerala always enjoyed a great reputation in Indian football. We used to have several tournaments, such as Sait Nagjee, but over the years, the exposure for our players has decreased. There was no state-level league. SLK fills that gap.
We are a state that produced players of the calibre of IM Vijayan, Jo Paul Ancheri, VP Sathyan, Sharaf Ali and others. With the advent of SLK, we are confident we’ll be able to produce more players at a national level.
We have the ISL and i-League as our best tournaments in the country, but then there was nothing below them. There was a big vacuum. Kerala has the potential to have a league that can bridge that ga,p and SLK is doing it steadily.
Is season 2 going to be bigger than season 1? If so, how will it be bigger?
Yes, season 2 is set to be bigger than season 1 in many ways. Previously, only four stadiums hosted matches for six franchises, which meant home grounds were shared. This year, two historic stadiums — Thrissur Corporation Stadium and Jawahar Municipal Stadium Kannur—have joined the roster, so every club now has a dedicated home stadium. We believe this is a crucial move to increase the support base. Thrissur and Kannur are great football destinations, and we wanted to satisfy their requirements.
{{/usCountry}}Yes, season 2 is set to be bigger than season 1 in many ways. Previously, only four stadiums hosted matches for six franchises, which meant home grounds were shared. This year, two historic stadiums — Thrissur Corporation Stadium and Jawahar Municipal Stadium Kannur—have joined the roster, so every club now has a dedicated home stadium. We believe this is a crucial move to increase the support base. Thrissur and Kannur are great football destinations, and we wanted to satisfy their requirements.
{{/usCountry}}Further, to globalise Kerala football and SLK, all games will be broadcast through Sony Ten 2 and digitally streamed free through Sports.com. The television product matters. Whether you are at the stadium and not, spectators should get great value. The quality of the broadcast was good last year, but this year it will be even better.
What are your key learnings from season 1?
A major learning was the importance of each club having its own home ground. It strengthens club identity and fan support, making football a city habit. Also, we want more people to be involved in sports and fitness, which can also make people feel that Kerala is a better place to live in.
We were able to quickly establish that SLK is a prominent league where some of the best talents come to play. Many players have moved into higher leagues. One of the main learnings was to ensure a high standard of football that can attract the audience by getting the best players available at this level.
When we started, we knew there would be a great response from districts like Kozhikode, Malappuram, etc. But we were surprised by the response we got from places like Thiruvananthapuram. The home game experiences in some centres went above our expectations.
What kind of difference do you think SLK is making to Kerala football?
SLK season-1 saw 90 Kerala players in action. This year, the number will rise significantly. In the last 12 months, we saw the emergence of new academies and foreign collaborations and the grassroots movement is growing and uplifting Kerala’s football standards.
The improved results at the end are the direct outcomes of the SLK project—players have used their league experience to excel in national competitions. Academies like Muthoot and others are playing a big role. They are able to pump in the resources and develop some really good players.
We now have certified coaches at the grassroots level, and some very good players are coming through the ranks.
On the revenue front, how's SLK doing? Many of the ISL teams are struggling at this point. From a revenue/profit point of view, what are your expectations for season 2?
SLK’s aim is long-term sustainability. It’s essential to maintain a sustainable budget so the league can run for the next 25-30 years or more. While sports is an expensive venture, it needs to be sustainable.
Obviously, there’s going to be some financial deficit in the short term. Every team in SLK has a purse of ₹2 crore to spend on players. But there are obvious expenses, and we have to ensure there’s discipline. The key is to be sustainable and not worry about short-term losses. We have now centralised our operations, and this way we have greater control.
SLK is being run with long-term goals in mind.
Many celebrities are co-owners of the SLK teams (Prithviraj Sukumaran, Basil Joseph, Sanju Samson, Asif Ali). Was it a conscious strategy to attract the actors and other celebrities outside football? How has it helped?
It is part of a social entrepreneurship initiative to promote and support Kerala and its football ecosystem. By attracting Kerala’s celebrities and other individuals, and getting them to invest and support SLK, we have increased visibility, awareness, fan engagement and boosted community spirit.
Do you think there will come a time when footballers get better branding and remuneration due to leagues like SLK? What are SLK's plans to brand the teams and players better?
SLK has already made players local heroes, and this will continue in the upcoming season. Our approach opens new branding opportunities for clubs and players, helping footballers get better recognition and remuneration over time.
In future, hopefully, we’ll have teams from Wayanad and Kasargod as well.