The Ivanism of it all

Ivan Vukomanovic. Credit: Special Arrangement

It was mid-February. Ivan Vukomanovic, clad in his trademark white shirt and black jeans, walked onto the field at Sree Kanteerava Stadium and was greeted by a crescendo of noise. It was striking that it was the coach of the away team who got the loudest of cheers on the night, save during actual football.

The Serbian, who took over Kerala Blasters last season in the bubble, had experienced the greeting for the first time when he took his side to the ISL final last March. Vukomanovic is now familiar with it, but not accustomed to it.

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"As a young player, you dream about playing for your family, friends, and fans. I made this dream come true. I played for my favourite club (Red Star Belgrade). As a player, you concentrate on the game," Vukomanovic told DH, twiddling a pen in his hands.

"As a coach, I am so proud and grateful for that moment, it will stay in my heart all my life. Every time I walk out, it gives me goosebumps. I can't say enough thanks because I love them all."

Vukomanovic has guided Blasters back into the playoffs again. For a time, it looked like they might have an outside chance for the League Shield however the mini-rebuild and injuries to key players knocked the wind out of their sails. Still, there is a cloak of optimism around the team, a far cry from yesteryears, one that emanates from the coach's cult of personality.

No other manager has got Kerala Blasters and their fans like Vukomanovic. Whether it is dancing with the fans at the airport or delivering the famous line, 'keri vaada makkale', from the 90s classic The Godfather, he does it with panache and an affable charm.

"I love being here, that interaction and people. We (the club and I) like to show empathy. We care about every detail, meeting people and showing something extra. When you arrive in another community, you try to understand the value and importance of everything. The first moment I arrived in Kerala, our goal was to understand what is happening around the club in the society and then become a small part of the puzzle and community," he says.

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"When you start that adaptation, you respect the habits and culture surrounding the club. That way, we give something back to the people. When you do that, it creates that kind of emotion."

He takes a breath as if connecting the dots in his mind, before continuing.

"If you have a smile and empathy in your job and relationships, you get a good response... respecting cleverer people, and learning new things, people's qualities for emotion, empathy, and love. As a person, you want to help everyone and make the environment better."

For Kerala's football-loving population he has done that, earning the nickname 'Aashan' - meaning instructor or expert (loosely).

Vukomanovic thanks his life in football for this. He has been to nine countries, playing, and coaching, winning league titles in erstwhile Yugoslavia and France. But the war that ravaged the Bulkan region during his youth left the most indelible mark on his life.

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"I come from a society that suffered with war and other things. When you come from that background, you appreciate everyday life. I always used my time to integrate... different cultures, values, and languages... you respect them all. Different skin colour or religion... doesn't matter," Vukomanovic says.

He continues, seemingly thinking out loud.

"The country I was born in was Yugoslavia. A country with certain values and many different populations. We (then) entered a period of war and destruction of a country. Growing up as a young player (at that time) you are cut off from options. Economic difficulties, not having normal conditions to live, to survive," he says.

"My dream was to play abroad. I was selected and I went abroad as a young boy. When you go out, it is a constant fight to be better than your opponent. Football is all about that, fight and play, season after season. It was a chance to help my family have a better life. I am grateful every day for where I am at today."

His lived experience is what gives Vukomanovic the calm demeanour on the touchline. An island of serenity in a sea of emotion.

"Football is emotion, pure emotion. Look at how people take it. You cannot play without it," he admits.

The trick, then, is to control it. That and maximum effort are the absolutes Vukomanovic demands from his team. That is their identity, why the team has, in some sense, punched above their weight.

"In sport, there is a possibility you win, lose, or draw. When you give everything, fans recognise that. That emotion you put in is appreciated. The fans feel the good vibration. If you lose, you shake hands and tell your opponents, 'today you were better'. When you play and lose without heart, no one likes it," he says.

So as his side face Bengaluru FC, on an eight-game winning run, on Friday in the knockout game, despite their less-than-ideal form on the road and a spluttering end to the league season, you can expect two things - KBFC to fight and play with heart. As for Vukomanovic, he wears his on his sleeve on the sidelines.