Punjab FC are playing their second season in the Indian top flight. The Shers nearly missed out on the Indian Super League (ISL) playoff spot last season, playing with an inexperienced squad. The club underwent a transition where they severed ties with then-head coach Staikos Vergetis, who helped them conquer the I-League against all the odds.
The management decided to name Panagiotis Dilmperis as the helm of affairs at the club. Unlike Staikos, Panos did not have a big CV to his name. The new Greek boss’ prior experiences came in the lower division of Greece Football. The fans and the media were skeptical whether Dilmperis would be able to deliver like his predecessor amid the “Limited Resources” at the club.
Cut to the present, Punjab FC has 15 points from eight games in the ISL. Following a solid start, not only did the Dilmperis shut his critics, but he also gave a distinct identity to Punjab FC with a free-flowing playing style.
Read More: East Bengal Break the Shackles: First Win of the Season Sparks Hope for a Revival
Panagiotis Dilmperis’ football is a breath of fresh air in the ISL. He proved that you don’t need big names to play an attractive style of football and churn out results. Field Vision India had the honor of sitting with him for the exclusive interview.
Photos : Shibu Preman / Focus Sports / FSDL
Thoughts on moving to India
Punjab FC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis did not have prior experience coaching a football team in Asia. However, expressed his excitement about joining the ISL. “I’m super excited that I am in India and I joined the ISL as coach of Punjab FC,” he said. “There are a lot of things regarding this championship that make me feel really excited and happy.”
Dilmperis highlighted the quality within the league, from players and coaches to the fans who create electric atmospheres in the stadiums. “There are a lot of teams with quality players, good coaches who will try to develop players and play modern football. I enjoy some of the stadiums where I can see a lot of fans, like Kerala, Bengaluru, and some more,” he remarked.
Discussing his role at Punjab FC, Dilmperis expressed satisfaction with the club’s professionalism and its alignment with European football standards. To put into context, Punjab FC were the the only ISL side to have fulfilled the club licensing criteria without any fine.
Read Our Exclusive with the NEUFC head coach: From Morocco to NorthEast: Coach Juan Pedro Benali on Transforming Northeast United FC and Unleashing India’s Football Potential
Moreover, Punjab FC are the champions of the Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) , an U21 youth tournament. “I’m happy also that I’m part of this championship as the coach of Punjab FC because it’s a really professional club according to the demands of modern European football,” he mentioned.
Dilmperis also spoke about the support of Technical Director Nikolaos Topoiatolis, confident stating “Our director has provided great tools in my hands so I can work and develop my team.”
Thoughts on Staikos Vergetis and seeking a new start with a new squad
Staikos Vergetis had made a good reputation in Indian Football in the 2 years he spent in India. Staikos, much like his career, is an overachiever. Punjab FC under his tutelage weren’t the favourites to win the I-League title in the 2022-23 but they eventually clinched it in a handsome fashion becoming the first side to be promoted to ISL.
Photos: Shibu Preman / Focus Sports / FSDL
In the ISL, they suffered a sluggish start but made up in the second half of the season. However Staikos refused the contract extension and Dilmperies was chosen as a successor. Punjab FC went into a fresh approach retaining just a few players from last season.
Read the first part of the interview with SLFC head coach Jose Hevia here: Coach José Hevia’s return to Shillong Lajong FC: A Tale of Passion, Progress, and Purpose
“Each season is different with its own characteristics. I don’t know a lot of details about the last season except that the team didn’t qualify finally for the playoffs,“ Panagiotis provided his honest inputs.
Whereas speaking about the current season and the goals for this season the Greek quoted, “The players that came are here because they have the characteristics that will play the football that me and the director agreed that we want to play. This is what we tried to do since the first day. Other than that, of course, comparing the points that we have.“
“Now of course we are in a better position than last year and the thing is that the goals that we have is only one and it’s clear that we want to qualify for playoffs,“ he addressed the differences from last season.
Insights about his free flowing football philosophy
Punjab FC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis shared insights into his coaching philosophy, emphasizing discipline, tactical adaptability, and modern football principles. “Starting with personalities on the pitch, they can play under disciplined tactics in modern football,” he said.
Explaining further, he defined modern football as having, “Certain ways of attacking—even if this is long balls, they should be really well-organized under a certain structure or building up from behind.” On defence, he noted, “Certain ways of defending that you can choose depending on the opponent. It can be 4-4-2 high press or 4-2-3-1 waiting in the middle.”
Dilmperis highlighted transitions and speed as crucial elements. “Transition game for sure—both defending and attacking. More speed of the ball, more speed of action, more speed of decision.”
Balancing offense and defense remains key. “Holding the zero at the back (cleansheet) and trying to create chances to score more goals. This is our philosophy about football.”
He also stressed Punjab FC’s focus on nurturing talent. “One step forward for Punjab FC is to provide the work that is going on in our academy and bring young players to the first team.”
Read the second part of the interview with SLFC head coach Jose Hevia here: FV Exclusive: José Hevia reflects on his Indian Football journey and coaching evolution
On club’s academy structure
Punjab FC head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis praised the club’s academy structure after the various underage sides performed brilliantly in the various age groups while highlighting areas for growth.
He emphasized the importance of aligning the academy’s philosophy with the first team. “Just to develop the connection between all the teams of the academy with the first team,” he said.
Elaborating further, he stated, “We are talking about a certain structure that we will play the same style of football and we will develop the players so that they will be ready even if they are young, like 16 or 17 years, when they join the first team.”
Dilmperis also reflected on last season’s milestone achieved by PFC academy and added, “It was great last season as the team went to England to play in the Premier League Next Gen tournament.”
Looking ahead in the future, he hoped for more player inclusion from the academy in the first team. “Now we hope that it will be better—not only with this but in how we will try to take more and more players from the reserve team and bring them up.”
Follow Fieldvision on Youtube ,Twitter , Facebook Instagram and Whatsapp Channel for more updates.
Leave a Reply