Dimitrios Diamantakos acknowledged that East Bengal FC's quest to achieve greatness thrilled him to sign for the Kolkata giants on a multi-year contract before the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season.

Known for his prowess in converting half-chances into goals and his supremacy in the opponent's third, the Greek international has been one of the finest strikers of the ISL in recent times.

Diamantakos, who made his ISL debut with Kerala Blasters FC in 2022, scored a flurry of goals for his former team and won the prestigious Golden Boot accolade in the 2023-24 season; thus, his transfer to East Bengal FC created waves of expectations among the Red and Gold faithful. However, East Bengal FC’s ‘Dimi’ is yet to reach the supporters’ sky-high expectations, as his performances with the Kolkata giants have blown hot and cold till now.

Once leading the charges at the Blasters’ frontline to now being the torchbearer in East Bengal FC’s striking force, Diamantakos has gone through a significant overhaul as a professional footballer, but his role remains the same.

From scoring on his East Bengal FC debut in the Durand Cup to being the top scorer of the club in the AFC Challenge League with four goals in three matches to scoring only three goals in his 15 ISL appearances, Diamantakos has already experienced several highs and lows during his first season with the Red and Gold Brigade.

In the latest episode of In the Stands hosted by Suyash Upadhyaya, the 31-year-old striker opened up about his move to East Bengal FC, the fans' support, and high expectations in the ‘Mecca of Indian Football.’

Diamantakos revealed how the former East Bengal FC head coach, Carles Cuadrat, played a pivotal role in making him join the team during the 2024 summer transfer window.

“First, I remember that I spoke with the ex-coach (Carles Cuadrat). The first contact happened in this way. We had a very good conversation; he explained to me what he wanted to do at the club, he told me about the time, and that was the first time I spoke to the club,” he shared.

“Also, I had other offers (from the ISL). There were three more teams. This first communication was very good. And then we spoke again, you know. I decided to come because I already knew that I wasn't continuing with Kerala Blasters FC. I was reassured after speaking with East Bengal FC that they want me very much. I also knew the history of the club, and they told me they want to do something big—that's why I'm here,” Diamantakos continued.

The star forward received a grand welcome at the Kolkata airport by a thousand Red and Gold supporters gathered in the wee hours of a mid-July morning. Diamantakos was overwhelmed to get such a spectacular reception, as he remarked,

“Oh! To be honest—no (didn’t expect that).”

The forward shared his pleasure at receiving such elegant greeting, saying:

“There were so many fans. I went in another car because we didn't want any problems on the road. Some people started to jump on top of the car. And I thought maybe it was my last day because the car started to bounce!”

“It was amazing, really; I never had this kind of experience in my life,” he added.

Having played for two of the most energetic and passionate fanbases in the league, Diamantakos observed an emotional rollercoaster with moments of joy, despair, and high stress arriving in quick succession. The Greek international observed that the Blasters supporters are quite supportive of their players, while the East Bengal FC supporters are more demanding and possess huge expectations from their players.

“Here I think, as you can say, people can change their opinions very easily. One day, you are amazing; the next day, you are very bad. In Kerala, you don't have that. In Kerala, they will still love you if you have 2-3 bad games,” he acknowledged.

“I think that is the culture; they (KBFC fans) protect their players and the team more than here because here, they (EBFC fans) expect more and more. Because they have a lot of trophies here. They have everything, and that's why they have expectations. Last year we won the Super Cup, but after that, not. That's why there is an expectation. I think it was the right decision for me to come here,” Diamantakos explained.

The Greek forward had been phenomenal in Kerala Blasters FC’s forward line during his two-year stint at the club. Diamantakos scored a total of 23 goals in just two seasons for the Blasters but somehow felt a bit difficult to carry forward his goalscoring form as he still has scored three goals for East Bengal FC in the ISL.

However, the East Bengal FC forward believed that he didn’t feel any extra pressure playing for such a heritage club; rather, he urged for some time to bond a reciprocal understanding with his teammates on the field to get back his goalscoring touch.

“No, it's not hard, of course; you need some time to adjust. But if you are a football player, a striker, all that people need are goals. If you don't score, people start to think, ‘He's not performing; he's not good.’. But this is the life of a striker. If he scores, he's the best; if he doesn't score, he's very bad. You have to accept this, and it's not a problem,” he opined.

Diamantakos acknowledged that he is still in the process of understanding the off-the-ball movement on the pitch with his new teammates. The forward highlighted how his partnership with Adrian Luna was instrumental in him having a good time in Kochi.

“For example, in Kerala, my teammates knew me very well. Luna and the other players knew exactly where I wanted the ball and what movements I would do. And sometimes, we didn't even look at each other. This is something that you need to build,” Diamantakos said.

“Also, in the first year, if you remember, I didn't score much. I scored 10 goals. And over here, we are still in the process of (knowing each other), because sometimes they can't understand my movements,” he further added.

Diamantakos rued the long-term injuries to players like Madih Talal and Saul Crespo as the unavailability of such key players was a daunting blow for the Kolkata giants as well as for him to thwart the opponent's defense line. Talal, who was the highest assist provider last season, suffered a knee injury against Odisha FC, thus ending his season midway. Whereas Captain Crespo sustained a hamstring injury in Chennai and also missed a couple of crucial games in December and January.

“We are missing two important players—(Madih) Talal, with whom I communicate very well. And also Saul (Crespo), with whom I had a good understanding. But like I said before, this is football. But you need to adapt,” Diamantakos said.

“Game by game, my teammates are understanding me more. And I need to understand them as well. It's not about others all the time; it's also about me and what the team needs. And the most important thing is that even if I don't score, the team wins,” he explained.