History
The Super League Kerala (SLK) was established in 2024 as a franchise-based football competition jointly organised by the Kerala Football Association (KFA) and Scoreline Sports Private Limited. Conceived as an ambitious initiative to develop football at the grassroots level, the league aimed to professionalise the state’s football ecosystem and provide a platform for young players to compete alongside experienced professionals.
The six franchises of the inaugural edition were unveiled at a grand launch event held at the Grand Hyatt, Bolgatty, Kochi, in May 2024. The event was attended by several prominent figures from Indian football and sports administration, including former India internationals I. M. Vijayan, Bhaichung Bhutia, and Jo Paul Ancheri, along with commentator Charu Sharma, actress Mandira Bedi, and officials from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Kerala Sports Council [3] .
Inaugural franchises and ownership
The inaugural edition featured six regional franchises representing key footballing centres of Kerala:
- Thiruvananthapuram Kombans FC – owned by Gowri Lakshmi Bayi (of the Travancore royal family), Dr Mohamed Ilyas Sahadulla (KIMS Hospital), K C Chandrahasan (Kerala Travels), and T J Mathews (Kovalam FC).
- Kochi Pipers FC – initially owned by tennis legend Mahesh Bhupathi, CEO of SGSE.
- Thrissur Roar FC – co-owned by Kaz Patafta (Chairman & CEO, Brisbane Roar FC), Benoit Joseph (Magnus Sports), and Mohammed Rafeeq (Nusym Technologies).
- Calicut FC – owned by tech entrepreneur V. K. Mathews, Chairman of the IBS Group [4] .
- Malappuram FC – co-owned by V. A. Ajmal (Bismi Group), Dr Anvar Ameen Chelat (SAT Tirur FC, Grand Hypermarkets), and Baby Neelambra (Saudi Indian Football Forum).
- Kannur Squad FC – co-owned by M. P. Hassan Kunhi (Kannur International Airport Ltd), Mibu Jose Nettikadan (Castle Group, Doha), Praveesh Kuzhuppilly (Asset Homes), and Shameem Backer (Wayanad FC).
Ownership transitions and rebranding
Following the initial announcement, several franchises underwent ownership changes and rebranding ahead of the inaugural season.
- The Kochi franchise was taken over by a consortium led by Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran, Supriya Menon, Nasly Mohammed, Shameem Backer C. K., Mohammed Shyjal K., and Praveesh Kuzhipally. The team was subsequently renamed Forca Kochi FC [5] .
- The Thrissur franchise was acquired by film producer Listin Stephen, owner of the production house Magic Frames, and rebranded as Thrissur Magic FC [6] .
- The Kannur franchise, initially known as Kannur Squad FC, was later renamed Kannur Warriors FC.
Inaugural season
The first edition of the Super League Kerala commenced in September 2024 and ran for 45 days [7] . Matches were hosted across four venues: the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi), the EMS Corporation Stadium (Kozhikode), the Sports Council Stadium (Manjeri), and the Chandrasekharan Nair Stadium (Thiruvananthapuram) [8] .
The competition adopted a double round-robin format, with each of the six clubs playing ten league matches (home and away). The top four teams advanced to the semi-finals, followed by a one-off final to determine the champion.
Each team was allowed to sign up to six foreign players, with a maximum of four permitted in the starting eleven for any match. Alongside players from other Indian states, the league featured over 90 footballers from Kerala, offering them valuable exposure to professional training environments and international talent.
Objectives and vision
The SLK was envisioned to serve as a bridge between Kerala’s local football circuits and India’s premier competitions such as the Indian Super League and I-League. By partnering with investors, sports entrepreneurs, and global stakeholders, the league aimed to elevate the state’s footballing infrastructure, coaching quality, and player professionalism.
The organisers projected that the SLK would create new career pathways for Kerala’s players and coaches, attract regional fan communities, and position the state as a key hub in Indian football’s development pipeline.
Super League Kerala features six franchise-based clubs representing different regions of the state. The league follows a double round-robin format, in which each team plays the other five clubs twice, once at home and once away, for a total of ten matches per team in the league stage.
Teams receive three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. The clubs are ranked by total points, with goal difference and goals scored used as tiebreakers if required.
At the end of the league stage, the top four teams advance to the semi-finals, which are played as single-leg knockout fixtures. The winners of the semi-finals meet in the final, where the champion of Super League Kerala is decided.
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