ISL: Everything is about winning; we want trophies – Kerala Blasters FC’s Mikael Stahre

Kerala Blasters FC’s newly appointed coach Mikael Stahre wants to bring in a winning mentality to the club. The Swedish manager said everything is about winning and they want to win trophies in the upcoming season. 

The Swede has signed a two-year contract, that will keep him at Kerala Blasters FC until 2026. Stahre will bring a lot of experience to the table and will look to get the best out of his players.

He has managed more than 400 matches with teams such as AIK (Sweden), Panionios (Greece), IFK Göteborg (Sweden), Dalian Yifang (China), BK Häcken (Sweden), San Jose Earthquakes (USA), Sarpsborg 08 (Norway), and Uthai Thani (Thailand).

Stahre’s best results include leading AIK to the Swedish Allsvenskan title (league title), Svenska Cupen (cup), and Supercupen (cup), and guiding IFK Göteborg to the Svenska Cupen (cup).

Speaking about his target for the upcoming season, Stahre said in an interview with the ISL official website. He said, “I have a clear message from ownership and management. The club wants to win and give something back to the fans. We have to work every day and stay humble, but everything is about winning. We want trophies.”

“(To the fans) Keep going and keep supporting the team. Make it hard for the opponent to come to the stadium. Thank you for the warm welcome and incredible support. Keep going, and let’s create history together.”

Adding further, the 48-year-old said he is focused on winning. Furthermore, he likes to play with intensity.

Speaking on his philosophy of football, Stahre said, “Winning. Everything is about to win. Of course, I understand that you are asking about technical and tactical things. For me, first of all, I’m the manager, which means that leadership and how I manage the players and the stuff are the main things. You can’t achieve anything without management and treating people well. I think that’s number one. Secondly, I like intensity. It’s not just the pace when you sprint without the ball. It’s also (about) how you react and respond to your teammates, how you look at each other, and how you communicate.”

Kerala Blasters FC finished the ISL 2023-24 season in fifth place with 10 wins in 22 games and a total of 33 points.