Game changer? Bundesliga tie-up gives Kerala football new dream
At the core of the tie-up is a sister-club partnership between SLK teams and clubs from Germany's 3rd Division Bundesliga (3. Liga) — a fiercely competitive professional league that has produced some of Germany's finest footballers. If things work out, each SLK club will now have a German counterpart, providing access to structured coaching, scouting, player development, and crucially, foreign player exchange.
'The Bundesliga 3rd division teams will provide us club and player management know-how and coaches' training module. They will provide us coaches and players too. That's because SLK teams can get six foreign players. So, instead of throwing money away outside, they can get players from the sister team itself. And their players get exposure here,' KFA president Navas Meeran told TNIE.
The longer-term goal is clear: develop a pipeline of Kerala-born players with the potential to play professional football in Germany. With exposure to European systems, Kerala's footballing base could rise significantly in quality and ambition.
'Over a period of time, we will have good players. And because the German teams are connected with the clubs here, they will also see our good players. So, our players will get the opportunity to play in the Bundesliga 3rd division,' Meeran pointed out.
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