"Here in Croatia, we call him Diamond" - Kerala Blasters told what to expect from Dimitrios Diamantakos after striker completes move
Kerala Blasters have confirmed the signing of Dimitrios Diamantakos. Sportskeeda spoke exclusively to Croatian journalist Tomislav Gabelic, the man who broke the news of the striker's move to India.
Kerala Blasters have completed the signing of Greek striker Dimitrios Diamantakos. The former Greece international has put an end to his two-year association with Croatian club HNK Hajduk Split to move to Kochi.
Doubling the Greek presence in our dressing room! 🇬🇷👊
Join us in welcoming the final piece of our puzzle, Dimitrios Diamantakos! 💛
#SwagathamDimitrios #YennumYellow #KBFC #കേരളബ്ലാസ്റ്റേഴ്സ് https://t.co/nmCjOApnwG
Diamantakos has thus become Kerala Blasters' fourth international signing of the summer. His arrival also sees the club complete the quota allocated for foreign players, with Adrian Luna, Marko Leskovic, Apostolos Giannou, Victor Mongil and Ivan Kalyuzhnyi already in the team.
Kerala Blasters provided the fans with a glimpse into Diamantakos' profile in their press-release. However, Sportskeeda caught up with 24sata reporter Tomislav Gabelic, who broke the story first, to get the lowdown on him.
Q: What sort of striker is Kerala Blasters new signing Dimitrios Diamantakos?
Gabelic: Dimitrios Diamantakos is a typical, old type of central striker. A box type of guy who has the ability to attack the box, to shoot, to wait for the ball inside the area and then score.
Q: Does Diamantakos have the versatility to play in other positions?
Gabelic: He is mostly a central striker, but he has also played some limited time on the wings, but I believe he is mostly a central attacker.
Q: How did Diamantakos fare during his time in Croatia?
Gabelic: He came to Hajduk from Germany during the difficult time of the pandemic. After his debut game, in which he scored a goal, he suffered some injuries. Then, there was the pausing of the game, and the league was paused several times. After that, he couldn't find his form.
The club sent him on loan to Israel [with FC Ashdod] and after that, he never played in an important game in the Croatian league. So, it would be fair to say that he came here with big expectations, but never got the chance to play at the biggest level.
Q: Why was Diamantakos' contract with Hajduk Split terminated?
Gabelic: I believe I answered that in the last question, but Hajduk brought two new players into that position - Marko Livaja [from AEK Athens in February 2021] and Jan Mlakar [from Brighton & Hove Albion in July 2021] and that is the biggest reason why Diamantakos no longer got a chance to play.
Q: Did Diamantakos' exit from Hajduk come as a surprise in Croatia?
Gabelic: No, this is not a surprise for anybody. When the player did not play, he was of course unsatisfied and tried his way out of the club. The club were willing to let him go because it was better to let him go than pay him the contract money.
So, how is Kerala Blasters new boy Diamantakos as a person?
Q: What sort of character is Diamantakos off the pitch?
Gabelic: I don't really know him privately, so I can't answer this question. But from what I heard from the other players, he is a correct guy. He is funny and he always makes friendships with the other guys.
Q: How was Diamantakos' relationship with the Hajduk fans?
Gabelic: He was appreciated like all the other players. He had a nickname - Diamond because Diamantakos is similar to a diamond. I believe the fans love him. He played some good games, but, as I said, he had so many obstacles in his time here in Croatia.
He didn't play many games, so he didn't have the chance to develop a big relationship with the fans. But it is fair to say that the fans love him.
Q: Is there anything else Kerala Blasters fans should know about Diamantakos?
Gabelic: At his best time, he was a national team player. I believe that in Germany, they call him the Greek God. Here in Croatia, we call him Diamond. He is a good player. I can't say how he will adjust to Indian football, how he will play there, but you've got a very nice player for your team.
I believe he will be a good guy, a nice player and he can make a difference in your league.