Sachin exits Kerala Blasters
Sachin Tendulkar said ‘a piece of my heart will always beat’ for Kerala Blasters
KOCHI: Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar has ended his association with Kerala Blasters Football Club (KBFC), the Indian Super League (ISL) outfit said in a statement on Sunday.
"Sachin has been a great support and we thank him for his immense contribution to KBFC. He will forever be a member of the Yellow Army. As it has been, we will continue to uphold and take forward, the spirit of the sport, spirit of the fans and the spirit of Kerala," the statement said.
"The existing 80 per cent Ashareholders of KBFC comprising of Iquest, Chiranjeevi and Allu Arvind have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Sachin Tendulkar's 20 per cent stake in the club," it added.
"Any other news regarding the shareholding is purely speculative in nature."
For the past two days, a section of the media had speculated that hat UAE billionaire businessman and Keralite M.A. Yusuf Ali has bought Sachin's stake.
Sachin has been the face of the franchise since its first edition in 2014 and it was along with the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, he held a press conference in the state secretariat announcing the name of the club.
Sachin Tendulkar said “a piece of my heart will always beat” for Kerala Blasters.
“In its fifth year, it is important that the club puts the building blocks for the next five years and beyond. It is also a time for me to reflect on the role that I should play. After reflecting and much discussion with my team, I have decided to exit my association with Kerala Blasters as a co-promoter,” Tendulkar said in a statement.
“I strongly believe that Kerala Blasters is in very good shape and on its path to attain many more successes with the backing of its fans offering unconditional support. I am very proud of Kerala Blasters and a piece of my heart will always beat for the club.” he added.
“Over the last four years, Kerala Blasters Football Club has been an integral part of my life. I have undergone all the emotions that millions of Kerala Blasters fans have undergone during this period.
“My association with Kerala Blasters was driven with the intent to reignite the passion for the game and give the many fans and the abundant talent in Kerala, a national platform to express themselves.
“It has been a thrilling experience to chase this pursuit and something which I will always cherish,” the batting great said in the statement.
Kerala Blasters finished as runners-up in the inaugural edition of ISL in 2014 and 2016, both time going down to Atlético de Kolkata in the summit showdown.