Dimitrios Diamantakos explains what East Bengal teammates have to do to get the best out of him

Dimitrios Diamantakos joined East Bengal ahead of ISL 2024-25.

Dimitrios Diamantakos has not exactly had the most successful first season as an East Bengal player. He arrived as a free agent in the summer of 2024 to the Kolkata side after winning the Indian Super League (ISL) Golden Boot in the 2023/24, scoring 13 goals for the Kerala Blasters.

The Greek forward has only scored three goals in 15 appearances in the ISL this season. He has often cut a frustrating figure, being underwhelmed by the lack of support in the frontline or delivery into the key goal-scoring areas.

Diamantakos personally believes that he needs more time to form that special bond with his East Bengal teammates for him to get back to his very best in terms of scoring goals consistently.

The 31-year-old has been featured in the latest edition of ‘ISL: In the Stands’. He has claimed that his East Bengal players need to work hard to properly recognize his playing patterns and how to find him in the best areas as Adrian Luna did at Kerala Blasters. Diamantakos stated: “For example, in Kerala, my teammates knew me very well.

“Luna and the other players knew exactly where I wanted the ball and what movements I would do. And sometimes, we didn’t even look at each other. This is something that you need to build. Also, in the first year (2022-23 season), if you remember, I didn’t score much. I scored 10 goals. And over here, we are still in the process of (knowing each other), because sometimes they can’t understand my movements,” the striker reflected.

On the expectations of fans from him

Diamantakos has also highlighted the differences in expectations between East Bengal fans and that of Kerala Blasters supporters. He believes that the Red & Gold Brigade’s faithful are way more demanding and can be even harsher in criticism, noting: “Here I think, as you can say, people can change their opinions very easily. One day, you are amazing; the next day, you are very bad. In Kerala, you don’t have that. In Kerala, they will still love you if you have 2-3 bad games.

“I think that is the culture; they (KBFC fans) protect their players and the team more than here because here, they (EBFC fans) expect more and more. Because they have a lot of trophies here.

“They have everything, and that’s why they have expectations. Last year we won the Super Cup, but after that, not. That’s why there is an expectation. I think it was the right decision for me to come here,” he also stated.

East Bengal have five more matches to play in the ISL league phase. They are currently 11 points behind the top-6, which looks like a distant possibility right now. Diamantakos, however, will at least be eager to end the season on a high note by scoring some goals in the final few games, starting with the upcoming mini-Kolkata derby against Mohammedan Sporting on 16 February.

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