KOCHI: Hoping to cash in on their rich fan base in the Middle East, Kerala Blasters have decided to play their pre-season friendlies in the UAE next month. The club will start its pre-season training in Kochi on August 1, before they move to UAE by the middle of the month for friendly matches against professional league clubs Al Nasr SC, Dibba FC, and Hatta Club of UAE first division.
The squad, under head coach Ivan Vukomanovic, will train at the Al-Nasr Cultural and Sport Club for a duration of 12 days.
The first pre-season friendly for the Blasters will be against Al-Nasr SC on August 20 at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai. Five days later, they will face Dibba FC at Dibba Al-Fujairah Stadium while their final fixture pits them against Hatta Sports Club on August 28 at Hamdan Bin Rashed Stadium.
“The initial plan of the club was a camp for less than two weeks with three friendly matches which will be executed as well in this pre-season. I’m delighted that all our UAE fans can come and be part of us at the stadium. This pre-season match is crucial for the club and all our supporters, and this will assist us to test our squads’ limits as well”. said Blasters’ sporting director, Karolis Skinkys.
This will be the first time in three years that the Blasters play in front of a UAE crowd. These matches in UAE are expected to provide a difficult challenge for the club as they prepare for the upcoming season of the Indian Super League which is scheduled to begin in October.
