Kerala Blasters head coach David James responded to Dimitar Berbatov's unceremonious exit from Kerala Blasters by stating that recruitment of foreign players will now be done by considering their motive behind their move to India.
Earlier this year, Kerala Blasters' star summer signing Dimitar Berbatov had posted an Instagram story that termed the former Liverpool goalkeeper as a 'wannabe coach' and blatantly criticised his tactics.
Speaking about a change in recruitment policy, James said exclusively to Goal, "The recruitment policy will be very different going forward. The first question I ask everybody is if they really want to come to India. If they don't want to come to India and they are not sure about it, then we don't need them at this football club.
"Every fan needs to know that every player on that field wants to play for Kerala Blasters. They are not just visiting India for a nice holiday or a trip."
When asked about the club's two of the most big name recruits in the summer, Dimitar Berbatov and Wes Brown and how the signings worked out, he said, "I did not recruit either of them (Berbatov and Brown). That (Berbatov's complaints) isn't down to me. The reasons for any individual coming, the policy from now on will be to understand why they are coming.
"With Wes Brown, I don't think he missed a minute for me. He was on three bookings for four or five games and still didn't miss a game. He has been a true professional in every aspect. Even in training, he has been fantastic.
"As far as Dimitar is concerned, I know why he came here. I didn't have a problem with that because I didn't recruit him. I understand how he left, that's up to him. I came in halfway through the season. We made some changes in the January transfer window."
Lavishing praise upon defender Wes Brown and taking a dig at Berbatov's stint, James stated, "I love India. I love every aspect - the good, the bad, the ugly. When I first landed here, it was very different to what I thought it was going to be. It is important that anyone who comes to Kerala Blasters understands that as lovely as this place is, it is not Europe. The football side is one thing, but you have to live here as well. Wes Brown has embraced it totally."