New Delhi: 

Indian Super League side Punjab FC on Tuesday announced of reaching an agreement with head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis until 2027.

“It has been a rewarding experience working with such talented and hardworking players. I believe Indian football has immense potential, and I’m proud to contribute to its growth through our work at Punjab FC,” Dilmperis said.

“Together with my staff, I look forward to building on the foundations we’ve laid and continuing to develop both the team and the young talent around us.”

Football director Nikolaos Topoliatis said: “Dilmperis, Konstantinos, and Papaioannou have brought professionalism, commitment, and belief to the squad.

“Dilmperis’ vision for the team aligns closely with the club’s philosophy of youth development and long-term progress. We are confident he will continue to lead the team with purpose and passion.”

He joined Punjab before the 2024-25 season from Greek club Ermionida FC and oversaw a 10th-place finish in the ISL with 28 points from 24 games before seeing them exit in the quarter-finals of the Super Cup.

Alongside Dilmperis, the contracts of assistant coach Konstantinos Katsaras, strength and conditioning coach Papaioannou Ioannis and Indian assistant coach Sankarlal Chakraborty were also extended for one more season.

Punjab’s focus on youth development has reaped rewards as they have won the AIFF Youth League (U-17) and AIFF Junior League (U-15) titles last month.

They fielded the youngest squad in the league with an average age of 25 years and 216 and promoted nine academy graduates into the senior team this season, six of them made their first-team debuts to receive the Best Elite Youth Program award.

Their U-23 players clocked 7522 minutes in the season, ahead of all teams in the ISL. Seventeen-year-old defender Pramveer Singh became the youngest starter in ISL’s history, while Singamayum Shami became the youngest goal scorer in the tournament.

Full back Tekcham Abhishek Singh and midfielder Nikhil Prabhu were called up to the senior national team after impressive campaigns, becoming the first players from the club to represent the men’s national team.

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