Each game is like a final: Punjab FC boss Staikos Vergetis

Staikos Vergetis also spoke about the movements during the summer window.

Punjab FC are history makers as the first-ever club to gain promotion on merit to the Indian Super League after winning the I-League. The outfit will compete at the top tier of the Indian football pyramid and hope to make their mark immediately from the initial rounds of matches.

The head coach, Staikos Vergetis, understands that the level of football will be high in the Indian Super League. However, he is looking to approach the season one game at a time and hoping to finish as high as possible in the points table.

The tactician spoke to the media recently on the ISL Media Day, along with the players from his team, answering their questions. Here are the excerpts from the conversation:

Happy with the squad

The tactician spoke highly of the players at his disposal and hoped to help the club achieve big things with the squad. He said, “I feel that we did the correct movements during the summer. We kept 14 players from the previous year. In football, you cannot keep everyone happy. Apart from these 14 players, we took some talented players from Indian football. We also have good young Indian players who we hope to help become professional players in the coming years.”

“This is my first season in India and I will give my hundred per cent in everything. I will try to help the team,” he added in terms of it being his first assignment in the top-tier of Indian football.

Target

In terms of having a target for the upcoming season, the head coach indicated that the idea is to approach each game separately and prepare for it accordingly. He was quoted as saying, “Each game for us is like a final. We have to plan according to the opponent, prepare and give everything game by game. We will see how far we can reach (by the end of the season).”

“We recognise the difficulties. We will prepare and face them (the opponents in the Indian Super League). We are preparing for the unexpected also but we cannot promise anything, we have to show it out on the field,” he further spoke in the context of facing more difficult opponents in the ISL.

Playing the ISL teams at the Durand Cup

Punjab FC had a taste of what is to come in the ISL after facing the Mariners and the Red & Gold Brigade at the 2023 Durand Cup. In this context, Staikos Vergetis said, “We played three games in the Durand Cup and we played two big traditional clubs like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. We took many experiences and lessons from these games. I would like to say that the Durand Cup is very early for the clubs with only two weeks of preparation.”

Luka Majcen on reaching the ISL

Punjab FC’s star forward Luka Majcen will finally get to taste the level of football in the Indian Super League. He will aim to help Punjab FC secure points by scoring goals for them. Upon reaching this level after several years, he spoke fondly of the journey and said, “Of course, the target was the ISL. In the beginning, I saw it was not so easy, especially for a foreigner, because there are plenty of foreigners with a better CV. It was quite a journey. Now, after four years, I am here.”