Sanju Samson, Prithviraj, Tharoor Add Star Power to Super League Kerala Season 3

The third season of the Super League Kerala (SLK) will kick off on September 25, with six clubs competing in a season that introduces new rules, a revamped knockout format and several prominent names from Kerala’s sporting and entertainment circles.

The opening match will be played at the Jawahar Municipal Stadium in Kannur, where defending champions Kannur Warriors FC will face last season’s finalists Thrissur Magic FC. The six participating teams are Calicut FC, Forca Kochi FC, Kannur Warriors FC, Malappuram FC, Thiruvananthapuram Kombans FC and Thrissur Magic FC.

The league, launched in 2024, aims to develop professional football in Kerala and provide local players with opportunities to compete alongside experienced Indian and international footballers.

The season will have a high-profile presence, with cricketer Sanju Samson serving as co-owner of Malappuram FC, actor Prithviraj Sukumaran as co-owner of Forca Kochi FC and MP Shashi Tharoor as chief patron of Thiruvananthapuram Kombans FC.

A major change this season is the elimination of drawn matches from the group stage. If a game remains level after 90 minutes, it will be decided by a penalty shootout. A regulation-time win will earn three points, while a shootout victory will fetch two points and the losing team one. The system is based on the J.League model.

The semi-finals will also be played over home-and-away legs, replacing the single-leg format used previously. Forca Kochi will return to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kaloor for its home matches, subject to scheduling around ISL fixtures.

Several players with Indian Super League experience, including Roy Krishna, Mailson Alves, Ishan Pandita, Lenny Rodrigues, Rafael Augusto and Michael Soosairaj, are also set to feature.

On the coaching front, Andre Chernyshov will take charge of Kannur Warriors, while Moroccan coach Karim Bencherifa will lead Malappuram FC. Young player Muhammed Sinan, last season’s best young footballer, will continue with Kannur.

The league is also planning to expand, with Kasaragod and Palakkad expected to join from next season. Meanwhile, SkillBox has been named the exclusive ticketing partner for Season 3, with tickets to be made available through the platform and the league’s website.