Mohali, June 10 (IANS) Punjab FC (PFC) have announced the contract extension of Head Coach Panagiotis Dilmperis until 2027. The extension comes on the back of a season marked by strong developmental progress and key milestones for the club.
Alongside him, Assistant Coach Konstantinos Katsaras and Strength and Conditioning Coach Papaioannou Ioannis will also continue with the club. Sankarlal Chakraborty will also continue as the Indian Assistant Coach of the team for the next season.
Dilmperis, who joined the club ahead of the 2024–25 campaign from Greek Club A. E Ermionida FC, led Punjab FC to a tenth-place finish in the Indian Super League with 28 points and guided the Shers to the quarterfinals of the Kalinga Super Cup.
Speaking on the extension, Dilmperis said, “I’m honoured to continue this exciting journey with Punjab FC. I want to sincerely thank Punjab FC for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to be part of Indian football. 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. 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.”
The team started the season strongly, winning four of their first five matches, before injuries impacted consistency in the latter part of the campaign. Despite the setbacks, the Shers registered four more wins and four draws across their remaining 19 fixtures. Offensively, the team remained dynamic, scoring 28 of their total 34 goals from open play, while defensively, they topped the league in interceptions per match.
Under Dilmperis, the Shers made notable strides in youth development and earned the Indian Super League Award for Best Elite Youth Program for the 2024–25 season.
He fielded the youngest squad in the league with an average age of 25 years and 216 days, as the club continued to reinforce its commitment to nurturing their own talent. A total of nine academy graduates featured in the senior team this season, with six of them making their first-team debuts under Dilmperis. The Shers also led the league in minutes played by teenagers and U23 players, clocking an impressive 7,522 minutes across the campaign.
The 2024-25 season also saw several landmark individual achievements. Pramveer Singh became the youngest starter in ISL history, while Singamayum Shami emerged as the youngest goal scorer in the history of ISL. Vishal Yadav and the dynamic Muhammad Suhail added to the tally of youth excellence, becoming the third youngest debutant and third youngest assist provider respectively.
Adding to the club’s proud moments, Abhishek Singh and Nikhil Prabhu earned senior national team call-ups—becoming the first players from Punjab FC to represent the Indian National Football Team.
Nikolaos Topoliatis, Football Director, Punjab FC, added, “We are delighted to retain our coaching team for the long term. 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.”
–IANS
aaa/
*Except for the headings & sub-headings, this story has not been edited by The enewstime.in and has been published from IANS feed.
