ISL 2017: Kerala Blasters line up Jose Molina as shock replacement for Coppell

What's the story?

In a surprising turn of events, Kerala Blasters are close to agreeing on a deal with ex-Atletico de Kolkata head coach Jose Molina for next season's Indian Super League, if reports in the local media are to be believed.

Having been linked with former Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce heavily in the past few days, Molina's name will come across as a shock to the Blasters faithful.

The context

The Men in Yellow parted ways with last season's head coach Steve Coppell earlier this week and speculation was rife that Pearce would be the man to replace the outgoing Coppell. Even former Kerala Blasters forward Michael Chopra couldn't hold himself back and revealed talks had been going on between Pearce and the Blasters hierarchy.

The heart of the matter

However, things have now taken a surprising turn with Molina set to become the Blasters' sixth head coach in the club's short history. Molina, who led ATK to the ISL title last season, didn't return to the Kolkata-based club this time round owing to their split with parent club Atletico Madrid and is exploring options in the ISL, with Kerala a possible destination.

Kerala Blasters' CEO Varun Tripuraneni had discussions with Molina's representatives earlier this month on the sidelines of his trip to Valencia, Spain.

With Molina, there is also the possibility of one of his former charges, Iain Hume, joining Kerala Blasters for ISL-4. Hume, the all-time ISL top scorer, has been in talks with various ISL clubs as his future is all but certain to be away from ATK.

What's next?

With the deadline for ISL clubs to name their head coaches fast approaching, Kerala Blasters have until tomorrow to appoint Coppell's replacement. While Pearce was considered to be the frontrunner in the race for the Blasters hot seat, Molina has emerged as a strong contender given his record in the ISL.

Author's take

Molina took the ISL by storm when he guided ATK to their second title win last season. For Kerala Blasters, roping in the former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper will be a coup considering the Spaniard's pedigree in Indian football. Whether his appointment will be well-received by the club's fans remains to be seen given it was Molina's team who defeated Kerala Blasters in the final last season in Kochi.