Over the last couple of seasons, Indian Super League (ISL) side Kerala Blasters’ fortunes revolved heavily around Adrian Luna, its talismanic captain. So, it was only natural that a pall of gloom descended on the club’s fandom when the Uruguayan midfielder was ruled out for the season with a knee injury.
But defying all expectations, Blasters have coped with Luna’s loss remarkably well, winning all four of its matches ever since – including victories over Mumbai City FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant – conceding just one goal in the process.
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A key component in the Kochi-based side’s counter-punch has been the form of its Greek forward, Dimitrios Diamantakos, the joint-top scorer in this ISL season along with Odisha’s Roy Krishna.
In these four matches, Diamantakos has scored three goals to ensure Blasters finished 2023 at the top of the ISL points table.
“Luna is our most important player. To lose him was difficult. But this is football. You can’t predict anything. We have to be strong. But of course, we miss Luna, as a player, and as a captain,” said Diamantakos.
In Luna’s absence, Diamantakos’ role in Blasters’ buildup play has become vital. He has been dropping deep to create chances for those around him, which has accounted for two assists in the last four games.
“All this while, Luna was there to create chances for us. But with him not being there, we have to take up the responsibility. With [Kwame] Peprah alongside, I can afford to drop deeper to help build play. When he goes back, I stay forward,” points out Diamantakos.
Blasters’ coach Ivan Vukomanovic is known to be a stickler for the 4-4-2 formation, usually bringing together two foreign strikers up front, with Kwame Peprah and Diamantakos the preferred choice this season.
“A forward has to adapt to every coach and his strategy. 4-4-2 is good for a striker because you always have help up front. This helps us to score a lot of goals,” offered Diamantakos.
Dimitrios Diamantakos of Kerala Blasters FC & Kwame Peprah of Kerala Blasters FC in action during the Indian Super League (ISL)match between Kerala Blaster FC and Mumbai City FC | Photo Credit: Focus Sports / ISL
But earlier in the season, to Blasters’ dismay, the 23-year-old Peprah took his time to get going, finding his first goal only in his eighth ISL match. The Ghanaian striker has been getting into his groove lately, finding the back of the net against Mumbai City and then scoring a brace against Shillong Lajong in the Kalinga Super Cup.
Diamantakos was all praise for his strike partner, hinting that more goals are in store for Peprah. “As I said earlier, he needs a little more time, because he is in a new environment, a new country. When one striker starts to score, the other improves. He helps me a lot in attack and there is a good connection between us.”
The highlight of Blasters’ eye-catching season though has been the emergence of a young core, which includes goalkeeper Sachin Suresh, midfielder Vibin Mohanan and the twin sensations – Mohammed Aimen and Mohammed Azhar.
While Sachin has started every single game this season for Blasters, Vibin and Azhar have stepped in for the injured Jeakson Singh in the midfield. Diamantakos, like many, has been mighty impressed by this bunch.
“I must say that all these youngsters have improved a lot, they work very hard and are of course really talented. We are here to help them grow and play good football. They are key to our performance. For me, the biggest thing is that these guys have no fear and that has helped us a lot.“
A Greek Adventure
Diamantakos’ footballing career has taken him across Greece and then Germany and Croatia and then finally to the shores of India.
“I started to play when I was four. No one in my family used to play football at a serious level. My grandfather used to play a little. I started with a local academy. Around 15, I joined Olympiacos and soon I was a professional.”
At Olympiacos, Diamantakos rubbed shoulders with several big names, including French international Eric Abidal and Argentine striker Javier Saviola; and was coached by Ernesto Valverde, who would then go on to manage Barcelona.
“I have some amazing memories from my days at Olympiacos. It was an amazing team. When you are young, you tend to forget the great things around you. You are just so focussed on playing. With age, you realise how big those experiences were,” reminisces Diamantakos.
The 30-year-old striker was quick to admit his initial hesitancy when Kerala Blasters came calling in 2022. “I was with Hajduk Split. It was the final year of my contract. I felt a desire to take up a new challenge.”
“When the offer came from Blasters, my initial thought was that it was too far away. But after I spoke to the coach and the sporting director Karolis Skinkys, and they told me about the project, I was convinced.”
It would be safe to say that he has stuck his landing quite well after his ‘leap of faith’. With his goal against Chennaiyin – a sweetly struck hit from outside the box – earlier this season, Diamantakos became the all-time top scorer for Blasters, going past Nigerian forward Bartholomew Ogbeche.
Diamantakos, who was part of the Greek side that finished runner-up in the 2012 under-19 European Championship, has 19 goals for Blasters so far. Interestingly, five of those 19 goals are penalties, with the 30-year-old striker yet to miss from the spot.
“Before the game, I do my research about the opposite keeper. When I take the ball before I head to the penalty spot, I have already decided where I am going to hit it. I choose one side and stick with it. Some of the keepers move early. But if you wait for that, until the last second, there is a risk. So I decide early,” explained Diamantakos.
With his goals fuelling Blasters on their hunt for a maiden silverware, Diamantakos emphasised the bigger picture.
“I want to score every time. Every year I want to be better than the last year. But the most important thing is to help the side win. We have been in really good shape and have managed some really good wins. But this means nothing. We need to keep going like this till the end.”
“We want to win trophies. That is why we are here. That is what we are trying to do every game. It is not just for us, but also for the fans. We know how much they want it. They give everything for us, every game. And that is what we are trying to do,” added Diamantakos.
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