Best formation, best players in each position… - Staikos Vergetis' vision for Indian football team if made coach

Staikos Vergetis also spoke about how the coaching styles are different in I-League and ISL.

Tactically astute, daring and humble are the three words that describe Staikos Vergetis. The Greek manager joined Indian outfit, Punjab FC, in the summer of 2022 in unknown surroundings in India miles away from his Mediterranean homeland. His tenure with Punjab FC has garnered praise from fans and media but more importantly, he has demonstrated to the stakeholders of Indian football that results can be achieved even without the best squad on paper.

Staikos is an overachiever, he has a history of punching above weight and achieving success with teams with limited resources. A decade ago, he guided Asteras Tripolis to the Europa League group stages and finished third in a group including Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur and Turkish heavyweights Besiktas.

Punjab FC hired Staikos to challenge for the second-division title with an average squad. He won under challenging circumstances and steamrolled past opposition to become the first side to be promoted to the ISL.

Cut to in the ISL next season, he also had to deal with an inexperienced squad at his disposal in the top tier and yet missed the playoffs by just three points. Unfortunately, his fairy tale has ended with Punjab for now, but he is not done with Indian Football. The AIFF last month announced the sack of National Team head coach Igor Stimac and the advertisement has been put out to find his able replacement.

Vergetis, 48, was one of the first applicants for the position. His career and his knack of achieving success with limited resources make him an able candidate to lead the Blue Tigers. His predecessor has openly time and again spoken about the limitations of Indian Football and rightly so, and the Greek coach knows a bit or two about leading with limited resources.

Khel Now caught up with the 48-year-old manager following his departure from Punjab FC. Here are some excerpts from the conversation.

Thoughts on two seasons with Punjab FC

The conversation started with the former Punjab FC manager shedding light on his two-year stint in India. Staikos Vergetis began by saying, “It was a great experience for me and I’m very happy that I lived this experience. I came to a different country from my own with a lot of different things, a different environment in every factor.

“I am happy that I came to India and lived this experience. Regarding football, I know that progress is an issue, but I am happy that I helped this progression of football, the development of football,”

Furthermore, Vergetis went on and added, “I believe that I have helped a little by increasing the performance of my players that I worked with, and I believe that we made Punjab one powerful team in the map of Indian football and I’m very happy that I lived through all of this.”

Difference in coaching in I-League and ISL

Vergetis is one of the few coaches who has worked as a manager in the top-two tiers of Indian Football. When questioned about the challenges and the differences between the I-League and the ISL he answered, “In two seasons, two different targets.

“In the first season, you are going for the championship. In the second season, you are going to take one place in the table as best as possible. From one season, where we had a lot of victories, we went to the other season where, especially in the first round, we had only one victory. The feelings were extremely different,” he opined.

Elaborating further the Greek manager said, “But the coach should manage every situation in the first division and after many winning games we were in the dressing room with a lot of happiness, one good mood, the team was getting closer and closer to the objective and the mood was very nice.

“In the second season, especially the first round, when the team could not take positive results, we tried to keep the same mood. We tried to keep the unity in the dressing room.”

We knew better days were coming: Staikos Vergetis

The Greek head coach believed that his team had the confidence to bounce back in the second part of the season. “We tried to give motivation to the players, better days will come, better days will come, let’s fight. let’s work and that happened in the second round where won matches and the players improved. Our level immediately went up.”

Lack of backing in transfers before ISL

As stated earlier, Punjab FC had one of the most inexperienced squads going into the ISL and the neutrals believed that the head coach wasn’t backed with the right resources.  However, Staikos Vergetis refuted the claim explaining, “Look, a coach, when he starts the season in the transfer period, gets a certain budget. 

“If you have a big budget to bring very good players, your work is very easy. If you don’t have a high-level budget and you have to work with youngsters to improve them, your job is not so easy but it’s a better job for the coach because you have to create players to improve players, while in the first option with ready players you have less work.

“The previous summer we had a budget not so big as East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Kerala Blasters. No high budget to bring better more ready players, so we kept in our squad the youngsters that we had from previous season, and we worked to improve these players. For example, we had Lhungdim, we had Nitesh, we had Abishek,” Vergetis stated.

Punjab FC stint one of the highlights of my career: Staikos Vergetis

Staikos Vergetis has led one of the lesser-known Greek sides Asteras Tripoli to Europa League group stage but he believes it was harder for him to deliver success with Punjab FC. “It was one of the best seasons because we had a lot of difficulties.

“I believe that the two years that I was in Europa League group stage were also difficult because I had to face very big clubs like Tottenham, Mainz, and Besiktas, very big teams. But here, I had to balance a lot of things. Like overseeing, the Indian style of play, the inexperienced youngsters, the long travels, everything.”

Vision for National team if made head coach

Staikos Vergetis shared his vision for the Indian national football team if he is chosen as the head coach. He said, “I would be focused to find the best formation and the best players in each position to support a strong team.

“I will ensure that every position has two equally strong players and behind that team 10 more players who can add to the team’s depth. This is what a national team coach must do — select a strong team of players and go to matches with full strength.”

Message for Indian Football

Before wrapping up the interview, the Greek head coach showed his humble nature and wished all the clubs well as they prepared for the pre-season. “I would like to wish you good luck for the season that will start now.

“Good season for every club. Everybody to help the development of Indian football. I send my wishes and my greetings to all the people, football people in India. And who knows one day maybe I will be there again,” he signed off.

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