Kochi (Kerala) [India], May 7 : Kerala Blasters FC striker Dimitrios Diamantakos, who recently signed a one-year contract extension with the Indian Super League (ISL) side, was pleased with his performances in the ISL 2022-23 season and was hopeful of winning silverware with the club next season.
Diamantakos, who joined Kerala Blasters FC in 2022, had a memorable campaign in the ISL 2022-23 season. He ended the season as the club's top scorer, scoring 12 goals while chipping in with three assists. His contributions were vital as Kerala Blasters FC qualified for the ISL playoffs in consecutive seasons, a first in the club's history.
The Blasters saw their campaign come to an end after going down to Bengaluru FC in a one-legged knockout playoffs fixture. However, Diamantakos was confident of the club bouncing back and spoke about their target of winning the League Shield next season.
"I must say that it was a good season for me as I scored some goals, but it didn't help the team achieve our goals and I hope that next season we win the (League) Shield because that is our target. And I hope that I score more goals and help the team more," Diamantakos said in an interview with the club.
With 12 goal contributions, Diamantakos was the leading goal contributor for Kerala Blasters FC in ISL 2022-23. His tally of goals was just two short of Odisha FC's Diego Mauricio, who emerged as the Golden Boot winner during the ISL 2022-2023 season. Diamantakos credited the players and coaching staff for his performances while also highlighting his partnership with midfielder Adrian Luna.
"We are one really good group. All the players are really good. But the one that helped me the most and I think he needs to take most of the credit because he gave me the most assists, is Adrian Luna," the Greek striker said.
"But all the players helped me and the coaches developed my football and helped me play my best football," he added.
Thanks to his goalscoring exploits, Diamantakos developed a reputation as a fan favourite among the Kerala Blasters FC faithful. The 30-year-old striker acknowledged the support from the fans during good and difficult situations.
"I have a lot of good moments because, after every game we played in our stadium when we finished the game, we saw the crowd celebrate together after every win and even after the losses. They are always there and make everything better for us and support us a lot," Diamantakos expressed.
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