Kerala Blasters agree phased sale to Al Fursan, discuss new home stadium

Kerala Blasters FC is set for a change in ownership after current owner Magnum Sports Private Limited agreed to sell the club to UAE-based Al Fursan Sports Investment Group. The club announced the agreement on September 29, 2026, but said the transfer of its 100% stake would take place in phases rather than all at once.

For supporters, the distinction matters: an agreement for a full sale has been announced, but the entire ownership transfer has not yet been completed. Club chief executive Abhik Chatterjee told a news conference in Kochi that the process was expected to take about eight months, spanning the 2026–27 season. The club has said its operations will continue during the transition.

Who will run the club during the handover?

Under the arrangement described by club officials, Kerala-based Ofioh Sporty will handle commercial and day-to-day operational work while the ownership change proceeds. Its chief executive, Thameem Anwar, and co-founder Sharath Kuniyil were introduced at the Kochi announcement.

That operational role should not be confused with the purchase itself. Al Fursan is the incoming ownership group; Ofioh Sporty is the locally based partner tasked with managing club activities through the transition. Officials have not publicly laid out a stage-by-stage breakdown showing when each portion of the stake will change hands.

The sale price was not disclosed at the announcement. Figures circulated before and after the news conference should therefore not be treated as confirmed terms of the agreement. The immediate commitments are clearer: the club intends to keep functioning, prepare for its next Indian Super League campaign and maintain its connection with supporters while the handover advances.

Kochi remains the home for now

The ownership news also brought a question familiar to Blasters fans: where will the team play? Anwar said the club intends to stage its home matches this season at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kaloor, Kochi, its established home venue. He said further discussion with the Greater Cochin Development Authority, which controls the ground, would address stadium rent.

Club officials also raised the possibility of building a dedicated home stadium. Anwar described a new venue as a plan being discussed with the next season in mind, but did not identify a location. No site, construction schedule, budget or completed approval process was announced at the news conference. His remarks are an indication of what the incoming management wants to pursue, not a confirmation that a stadium has been commissioned or will be ready next season.

Anwar said the existing venue falls short of standards he wants the club’s home ground to meet. That is his stated reason for looking at a new facility; the announcement did not establish a final design or explain what changes a future stadium would include. Until a location and delivery plan are made public, Kochi’s current ground remains the practical answer to where fans can expect to watch the team this season.

What supporters should watch next

The two developments are moving on different tracks. The ownership agreement sets out a phased route to selling the whole club, with an approximate eight-month completion target. A new stadium is, for now, a proposal without equivalent detail or a firm delivery date.

Further announcements could clarify when Al Fursan will assume full ownership, how responsibilities will change during the intervening months and whether the stadium idea advances to a specific project. For now, the Blasters’ most concrete near-term plan is continuity: a locally managed transition and home matches in Kochi while the proposed sale runs its course.