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The I-League title is something that RoundGlass Punjab FC have been chasing for the past couple of seasons, only to fall short in the final stages. The side from Chandigarh has now strengthened their squad ahead of the upcoming season of the I-League, signing a number of top guns like last season’s top scorer Luka Majcen, Spanish playmaker Juan Mera, Nepal International goalkeeper Kiran Kumar Limbu, midfielder Khaimin Lungdim, and many more, while the likes of Kurtis Guthrie, Kean Lewis, and Aakash Sangwan have proceeded to leave the club. Head coach Staikos Vergetis is at the forefront of the changes as he looks to muster his side to the coveted I-League title. I-League Media caught up with Vergetis to understand more about the philosophy that drives the coach from Greece, and how he plans to help his side win the league.
What has been your approach here in India? How have you adapted?
I came from Greece and was associated with one team which participated in the Europa League for three consecutive years. And in my mind, I had a model where the tempo of the game is very fast. The players have to think fast, take correct decisions and execute them quickly. This is something I found difficult on my first day here. In India, there is talent, there is quality in the Indian players. But we, and all the other teams, need to improve the intensity of the game. We can build this up from the training; pushing the players to think fast, make fast decisions and execute them correctly. This is not easy, and it needs a lot of training, a lot of sessions and I am sure that Indian football players will improve a lot in the next two to three years.
RoundGlass Punjab FC have played multiple games in the pre-season. How do you think the team fared in these matches and what has been the impact of the pre-season coming into a fresh season?
It is very important to play friendly games to figure out your strengths and weaknesses as a team. Irrespective of whether we win or lose, these games provide us with an opportunity to hone our strengths and work on our weaknesses. We have given equal playing time to all our players in the friendly games. The first goal of friendly games is to give playing time to all the players. Then we want the players to feel connected to each other in the model of the game that we want to play. And finally, to try some formations, and some systems and select the best that fit the team. So far we have had a good preseason to prepare for the season ahead. We have tried multiple formations and checked for our positives and negatives in each. But, in whatever formation we play, we will showcase an attacking brand of football.
Roundglass Punjab FC have signed a number of new players this season. What has been the strategy behind these signings?
Yes, this summer the team has made many transfers and brought on some new players. Our objective is to build one competitive team that will play well in all aspects of the game — defence, attack, and during transitions. Each player has worked hard and contributed towards the collective goal of the club. A new team needs time. Training sessions and playing friendly games have helped us prepare for the league.
New players like Luka Majcen, Juan Mera etc. bring a quality experience to the squad, tell us how important they will be in the upcoming season.
It is very important to meet all the criteria while completing one good transfer. First, you need experienced players who will help you with their experience in football especially players who have already played in India, in the I-League. Second, you need young players as they have a lot of potential in them. We have a lot of young players in our squad as well as some players who have come up from our academy ranks. So, I feel we have the right balance of experience and youth in our team.
What should fans expect from RoundGlass Punjab FC in the coming season? What style of play and philosophy do you want to instil at this club?
The first thing that I asked the players is the first thing that the fans will see. The character to fight in every instance of the game. Maybe we’ll win one game, and things will not go well in the next, but in every game, we must fight and give our best. I want the fans who come to watch the game in the stadium to go back with the satisfaction that the team fought throughout the game.
We are trying to build a team that likes to have possession of the ball. We want to be a team that opens up the field, keeps the possession and tries to find ways to break the opposition’s defence and score goals. We are trying different options in the friendly games, and are working on our strengths and weaknesses as we go forward. But, in general, we are a team that likes to play an attacking game of football. I don’t like my team to sit back and wait for the opponent and only play on counterattacks.
RoundGlass Punjab FC’s conceded the maximum number of goals amongst the top five sides in the league last season. What tweaks and changes do you feel will make the team a contender this time?
The first defensive lesson that I wanted to put in the mind of all the players is that it is not only the defenders’ duty to look after the team’s defence but rather it is a collective effort from everyone on the pitch. This is something that the players have understood from our multiple tactical sessions. I would rate my defence a six out of 10 now as we still must improve on many things. But we have good players, and we have to play with a strong mentality and work together as a unit to strengthen our defence.
The I-League format has shifted back to a double round-robin with home and away fixtures. How important a role will fans play in the coming season?
The presence of fans influences the players at a massive scale. Even if you are going to play away from home, you prefer having fans in the stands. Yes, those fans will support the opposition team but it’s still much better than playing in an empty stadium. So, you can imagine, how important it will be for us to have our fans in the home stadium. It really affects the psychology of the players. The presence of fans motivates the players to do well on the ground.
What are your predictions for the league? Where do you see RoundGlass Punjab FC finishing at the end of the season?
I want the league to be more competitive and it will require contributions from all the teams. Every team has worked hard to make the league more competitive than last year and will continue to work hard to make it even more competitive the next year. This, in turn, will help enhance the level of football played in the country; players, coaches, referees, and people in the administration, everyone has to put in their best.
As for our team, we want to finish at the top of the table. Our vision is very clear; although we will take one game, one practice session at a time, the final target is to see our team finish at the top.
