‘It’s Not My Responsibility To Develop Indians’ Kerala Blasters Coach David Catala Drops MASSIVE Statement News24 –

The sport of football enables him to explore different destinations which led him to his current journey in India. The football opportunity leads David Catala to travel India where he faces his newest encounter. His first fixture in charge brought him luck because his team defeated defending champions East Bengal 2-0 before qualifying for the Super Cup quarterfinals. The Spaniard serves as the third head coach of the season for Kerala Blasters before taking the role from Mikael Stahre and interim coach T. G. Purushothaman who now leads the team toward positive change.

Sportstar’s Rajdeep Saha (@rswrites25) caught up with David Catala ahead of #KeralaBlasters‘ #KalingaSuperCup2025 quarterfinal vs Mohun Bagan SG as he spoke about his first impressions, grappling with expectations and more ➡️ https://t.co/rcSFlt653L#IndianFootball | #KBFC pic.twitter.com/ifs9KhC7ak

— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) April 22, 2025

“Yes, it’s true that the Indian players have to develop and have to grow. On whether it’s my responsibility, it’s not. I will use the best 11 players who I feel can put up the best performance. I don’t care if they are 17 years old or 36. This is something [developing players] the club has to look into. The basics are to invest in the academies. You have a lot of population here and for sure you will have good players, but they need to have the basis to grow. I like to work with young players and help them develop. If they show me that they can play, I’ll be the first to give them the chance.” David Catala said.

The 2024-25 Indian Super League season ended with Kerala Blasters placing eighth after three consecutive playoff participations under Ivan Vukomanovic from 2022 through 2024. Sportstar interviewed Catala just before Kerala Blasters faced Mohun Bagan Super Giant in their quarterfinal match while he shared his initial impression with the club and his management of expectations before the intense match.