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Kerala Blasters FC has announced that Dimitrios Diamantakos has signed a new contract, extending his stay with the club until 2024, the club announced on Thursday, May 4.
The Greek marksman had an impressive 2022-23 season with the club, leading the attacking charge and scoring 12 goals in 24 appearances across the ISL and the Hero Super Cup.
The club's sporting director Karolis Skinkys was elated about the contract extension and praised Diamantakos' team spirit and experience. Skinkys said:
"Dimitrios has been a total team player for us at Kerala Blasters. Whenever the team needed a moment of inspiration, he always came through for us. His experience and knowledge about the game help lift the team, especially the young talents who learn from his lead."
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The strong individual performances from Diamantakos and their skipper Adrian Luna fuelled Kerala Blasters into the fifth spot in the regular ISL season. However, their decision to walk off the field during the eliminator match against Bengaluru FC in protest of a refereeing decision ultimately resulted in the end of their tournament run.
In the Super Cup, the Yellow Army couldn't even scamper past the group stages, bringing an end to a disappointing campaign. But the 30-year-old forward has been rewarded for his clinical gameplay with the extended contract.
Diamantakos also expressed his excitement about extending his contract with the club, saying:
"India and Kerala Blasters were a great and unique experience for me. Any success that I had during the last season was only possible due to great support from my teammates, coaching staff, and most importantly the Kerala Blasters management."
Dimitrios Diamantakos experience will add reliability to the Kerala Blasters FC attacking line
Dimitrios Diamantakos, a seasoned campaigner, has played in various leagues across Greece, Germany, Croatia, and Israel. He started his career with Atromitos Piraeus before moving to Olympiacos' youth team system in 2009.
He then made appearances for several other Greek clubs as a loaned player, with his breakout season coming with football club Ergotelis, where he scored 10 goals in 27 appearances.
The striker later played for some iconic Bundesliga clubs, including Karlsruher SC and VfL Bochum, leading to a stint within 2. Bundesliga between 2015-2020, before heading to Croatian club Hajduk Split in July 2020.
