Adrian Luna interview - On love for Kerala Blasters, ownership change, hopes for new ISL season

Life in Keralam agrees well with Adrian Luna — so much so that a routine gym trip can easily turn into an impromptu auto-rickshaw ride with an ecstatic local fan.

“The people are amazing with me, and I feel at home here. I was coming back from a workout and he was waiting outside… so he picked me up and said, ‘Come on, Luna… let’s go, I’ll give you a lift’. It was a five-minute drive, and it was amazing,” Luna told Sportstar.

The 34-year-old sure missed this warmth when he was asked to go out on loan last season by Kerala Blasters (KBFC), largely due to the uncertainty surrounding the Indian Super League (ISL).

The footballing landscape has shifted in India and Keralam since Luna had to leave KBFC for Persik in Indonesia.

In the time he’s been away, the State has added an ‘m’ to its name, the club has welcomed new owners from the UAE, and the Indian Super League — after a truncated and delayed season that led to Luna’s exit — is now run by its member clubs.

Luna, a household name in Keralam since 2021, admitted he was relieved when he finally got the message to return.

Sitting down for a virtual conversation on Thursday, the Uruguayan playmaker opened up about the uncertainty of the past year, the high-intensity demands under new coach Ashley Westwood, his role as a leader in the side, and why his love for Manjappada remains as fierce as ever. Edited excerpts:

Q) Invariably, we have to start with Kochi… You had your first home game against Mumbai City FC and you had a beaming smile coming out of the tunnel. You must have missed 40,000 Blasters fans cheering you on…

A) Yes, I missed them so much. I missed being with my teammates, but especially the stadium itself. I have said many times, my favourite place here in Kerala is the stadium when it’s full. The environment with everyone cheering for the team is just the best part of football. It brings incredible energy to the players.

When the starting XI was announced, your name got the loudest cheer. You must know you are perhaps the most loved player in the KBFC ranks…

When we reach the stadium, I usually don’t go out to the pitch beforehand, but I heard my name was the loudest one, and I appreciate that. I know the love the fans have toward me, and it’s mutual.

Last year brought a lot of changes, and you had to go to Indonesia for a loan spell. How excited were you when you got the call to come back to India?

It was a long four or five months of uncertainty because we didn’t know what was going to happen around the club, and we had no answers. So, when I finally got the call, I was so happy. My wife, my children, me, and all the players were waiting for it. It’s amazing to be back in Kochi, and I hope we can have a great season.

How did that phone call happen? Was it Ashley Westwood who rang you or the new owners?

It wasn’t a phone call from Ashley; we just spoke via WhatsApp. He told me we would start soon. The actual news about returning came from the club about the [ownership] situation getting sorted, and it made me really happy.

During that uncertainty, did you think you might not be able to come back to KBFC? How would that have affected you personally and professionally?

At some point, after such a long time with no communication, you start thinking, ‘Maybe this is over, maybe this is it’, and you have to look for other options. But until someone told me it was officially over, I didn’t look for anything else because my first option was always to come back to Kerala. Thankfully, I didn’t have to look elsewhere.

Wasn’t that a bit risky as a professional football player?

Yes, it’s difficult because you have a family and you need to work. It was a tough decision, but I stuck to it. I was confident everything would work out. If it hadn’t, I would have had to break my contract and look for other teams, but thank God it didn’t come to that.

How was your spell in Indonesia last year? Was it diffcult to switch on and play for a different side after being in KBFC for so long?

It was not difficult to play football because it’s the thing that I love the most. And last season was difficult for everyone because everybody knows what happened here in Indian football. The previous owner asked me to go and I have a great relationship with him. I told him I would try to help the club in any way possible. I said, ‘I don’t want to go but I will go because you are asking me to help you and you had helped me when I was in the worst time of my life, and I’m a grateful guy… so I will go even if I don’t want to’.

I had a conversation with my mom and she said, ‘Listen, these people helped you when you were very low, so you have to pay them back.’ So, in gratitude, I decided to go.

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Did any other Indian clubs try to sign you?

There were some conversations, but honestly, I didn’t want to take them. After playing for five years in Kerala, it didn’t make sense to go to another Indian club. Plus, I still had one year left on my contract with KBFC.

Luna is into his sixth season with the club and is on course to become Blasters’ record appearance-maker this campaign. | Photo Credit: Focus Sports/ISL

Were you or the other players made aware of the change in ownership? Were you assured that this was happening in the background and that normalcy would be restored soon?

Everything we knew was because of the media. I didn’t have any conversation with anyone from the club until the last day. I got a message from the ex-owner, Nikhil Bhardwaj and he told me, ‘Adrian, we’re going to sell the club and we appreciate all your work’. I have a great relationship with him, and I am really thankful for everything he and his father did for this football club and me.

With the ownership change, there was a delay in KBFC’s pre-season. Did the uncertainty affect the players’ mentality?

If you have to wait six months for a deal to close, of course it affects you because you don’t know when or if the training will start. But once you start training, you forget about all of that. You try to be as professional as possible. Football is football; it doesn’t matter who the owner is — when you step on the pitch, you do what you know how to do and enjoy it.

The coach has appointed Indian players as captains for this season. You were the club captain before. Does the armband matter to you, and what was your conversation with Ashley regarding it?

My role doesn’t change whether I wear the captain’s armband or not. It’s something the coach decided to give to Indian players, but my commitment, respect, and leadership remain exactly the same.

The new foreign signings have created a lot of buzz among the fans. Do you think they have a higher ceiling and potential?

I think they are great players. Of course, they need time to adapt to the club, the country, the culture, and the humidity, which is always tough here. My advice is to be patient with them. We have signed a great group of foreign players, and I have no doubt they will help us achieve our goals.

Luna (R) has 15 goals and 29 assists for Kerala Blasters since 2021. | Photo Credit: H. VIBHU

Have the new foreign players been coming to you for advice since you’re a veteran at the club?

Yes, some of them came to ask, ‘Luna, I know this is a big club in India. Can you explain how it works, how our pitch is, and what the environment is like?’ We talk from time to time, and I try to help them understand not just the club, but Indian football in general.

The last couple of seasons haven’t gone well for KBFC. Did you ever worry that the fans might walk away for good?

No, not at all. You will stand with your club like you will stand with your family. When you truly love a club, you don’t walk away; you stand by them. I knew the fans were disappointed because of the results, which is totally fair. However, I had no doubt they would keep supporting us because this club is a way of life for them.

Is this season a fresh start and a new chapter for KBFC under a new owner and coach?

For sure. When the people at the top change, it’s a fresh start. Everyone has high expectations, which is good for the club, the league, and everyone involved.

How would you compare Ashley Westwood’s tactics to Ivan Vukomanovic’s? Can fans expect the team to improve as the season goes on?

I won’t compare them because there’s no point. Ashley is here now, and I think the team will get better 100%. We didn’t have a proper pre-season, which isn’t an excuse, but it’s a fact. Now we will have time to work on physical strength and tactics, and I have no doubt we will be a very tough team to beat.

What does Ashley demand the most from his players?

The most important thing he demands — and he is very demanding — is to give your all on the pitch. You can have good days or bad days, but if you give your all and stick to the game plan, he will be pleased.

You’ve already had some great link-up plays with Mohammed Sanan, one of KBFC’s most promising young talents. Does he have the X-factor?

He is a great kid with a lot of potential. I don’t know if he realises how far he can go, but it depends entirely on him. He’s young, full of power, energy, and quality. My advice to him is to listen to the older players who have experience. When I was 16, a Sporting Director told me, ‘I wish I had your age and my experience’. At the time, I didn’t understand it, but now I do. Sanan has a long way to go, and if he wants to, he can even play abroad and be very successful.

You’ve just called Sanan a ‘great kid’. So, do these young Indian players look at you as a mentor, or a fellow player, or just a buddy?

I try to give good advice, but I’m just one of the guys. I try to be as normal as possible. I have a lot of experience in football, so whenever I see someone stepping out of line, I try to gently pull them back in [laughs].

From a young boy who made the journey from Tacuarembo to Montevideo, how do you look back at your career? Or is it time to look back at your career?

I’m happy with my career, what I’ve done in football, and my life. I have a beautiful wife and two kids, and I’m proud. Right now, I’m not looking back; I’m just enjoying the moment, enjoying being healthy. For a footballer, being healthy is the main thing, because injuries make you feel sad and ask, ‘Why me?’ I’m grateful to God and ready to keep doing what I love.

What was the toughest season of your career? Was it last year?

No, my toughest season was when I injured my knee [December 2023]. We had a great start; I was scoring and assisting, and then I got injured in training. The journey of an injured player is very lonely — going through surgery and rehab is tough.

Given the choice, would you like to finish your career with Blasters?

Yes, 100%.

When you finally hang up your boots, do you plan to get into coaching, punditry, or stay with KBFC in some other capacity?

For the first few years, I will spend time with my family. I’ve been abroad for so long, and I want to enjoy my kids’ birthdays, Christmas, and New Year with them. After that, we’ll see what happens [laughs].

How do you want to be remembered when your career is done? As a KBFC legend, perhaps?

I never really think about that. Everyone thinks differently. Some will remember me as a good guy, some won’t, so I don’t really worry about it.