Punjab FC’s season opener in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 is set to be a high-stakes affair. The team faces off against Kerala Blasters, boasting the league’s largest fanbase, in a packed Nehru Stadium on Sunday. While the pressure might be immense, Punjab’s new head coach, Panagiotis Dilmperis, has a plan. Drawing on his own experience as a professional player, he emphasizes the importance of mental fortitude.
“I was trying to address this question when I was a young football player, playing professionally, you have to put your body and mind on the four lines of the field and forget what’s going on outside of this,” said the Greek coach on Saturday.
“We have worked a lot with my players in this mindset, to try to prepare them for such situations. I think it would be a good test tomorrow to see how we adopt this plan,” he added.
Interestingly, Punjab, which debuted in the ISL last season after winning the I-League, has no players from Punjab on its roster. Dilmperis acknowledges this and outlines a clear goal: “I think we don’t have any…that’s the one target we have, we want to create youth players from the region, from Punjab, players with the right mentality, to be professional and be ready to address the challenges of the ISL.”
However, attracting fans from Punjab could prove challenging as the team plays its home games in Delhi. The coach isn’t sure when they will get to play in Punjab, but he’s crystal clear about the club’s vision. “Punjab FC wants to develop, that doesn’t mean only results. The new challenge is how we can bring more youth players from Punjab to our academy, bring new technology to help the staff and players, bring new players, and bring new mentality. I think these are some of the major challenges that we have to address,” he explained.
Dilmperis concludes, “If we are an example for other teams and other teams, that have better things, are an example for us and that is the only way we can develop Indian football and Indian players.
