Punjab

Full name	Punjab Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Shers
Short name	PFC
Founded	2020; 4 years ago (2020) (as RoundGlass Punjab)
Ground	Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Delhi) (official)
Capacity	60,000
Owner	RoundGlass Foundation
Head coach	Panagiotis Dilmperis
League	Indian Super League
2023–24	Indian Super League, 8th of 12 Playoffs: DNQ
Website	thepunjabfc.com
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Punjab Football Club (formerly known as RoundGlass Punjab Football Club)^[1] is an Indian professional football club founded in Mohali, Punjab.^[2] The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of the Indian football league system, following promotion from the 2022–23 I-League.

In April 2020, RoundGlass Sports Pvt. Ltd. completed the acquisition of the I-League club Minerva Punjab, rebranding it a year later as RoundGlass Punjab. After promotion to the ISL, they changed name to Punjab FC in July 2023.^{[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]} On 15 June 2020, they appointed Curtis Fleming as head coach.^[11][3][12] On 15 July, they appointed Nikolaos Topoliatis as new technical director.^[13] As the season progressed, Punjab made it to the championship stage and finished their season with a 2–3 loss to Churchill Brothers.^[14] They achieved 2nd position with 22 points in 15 league matches.^[15]

In August 2022, Staikos Vergetis was appointed as the new head coach of RoundGlass Punjab.^[16] After winning 4–0 against Rajasthan United on 4 March 2023, the club ensued their I-League title, gaining promotion to the Indian Super League for the first time.^{[17][18][19][20][21]} They ended the season with 52 points in 22 league matches.^[22][23] RoundGlass Punjab later participated in the 2023 Indian Super Cup.^{[24][25][26][27][28]} Punjab began their 2023–24 season campaign on 23 September, in a 3–1 away defeat to Mohun Bagan, in which Luka Majcen scored club's first ever ISL goal.^[29][30][31] They secured first league point on 6 October, in an 1–1 tie with NorthEast United, in their first home match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi.^[32][33] On 19 December, French playmaker Madih Talal scored a goal, gave Punjab their historic first match win in the Super League as they defeated Chennaiyin by 1–0 at home.^[34][35] The club achieved their first away win later on 12 February 2024, defeating Kerala Blasters 3–1 in Kochi.^[36][37] The club registered their biggest win on 10 April defeating East Bengal 4–1, ended the league campaign with 24 points in 22 matches.^[38][39]

In September 2023, Punjab FC officially confirmed Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi as their home venue for the 2023–24 Indian Super League.^[48][49]

Previously, Punjab FC played at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in the I-League.^[50] The stadium has a capacity of 12,000 spectators.^[51] The club is also the owner of Guru Nanak Stadium.

A recognised fan club named "The Warriors" has been in support of the club.^{[citation needed]} The Guru Nanak Stadium has seen an average attendance of 12,000.

As of 4 August 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  IND Ravi Kumar 4 DF  IND Nikhil Prabhu 6 MF  IND Ricky Shabong 7 FW  BIH Asmir Suljić 9 FW  NOR Mushaga Bakenga 10 MF  ARG Ezequiel Vidal 11 MF  IND Samuel Kynshi 12 DF  IND Khaiminthang Lhungdim 14 DF  IND Melroy Assisi 16 MF  IND Vinit Rai 17 MF  IND Manglenthang Kipgen 23 MF  IND Ashis Pradhan 24 MF  CRO Filip Mrzljak 25 DF  IND Shami Singamayum 26 DF  IND Rakesh Meitei (on loan from Kerala Blasters) 27 DF  IND Tekcham Abhishek Singh

No. Pos. Nation Player 28 DF  IND Denechandra Meitei 29 FW  IND Muhammad Suhail F 31 MF  IND Leon Augustine 33 DF  CRO Ivan Novoselec 35 DF  IND Pramveer Singh 44 FW  IND Ninthoinganba Meetei 45 DF  IND Nitesh Darjee 41 GK  IND Ayush Deshwal 74 DF  IND Suresh Meitei 77 FW  IND Nihal Sudeesh (on loan from Kerala Blasters) 78 GK  IND Muheet Shabir 99 FW  SVN Luka Majcen — MF  IND Maheson Singh — MF  IND Princeton Rebello

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  IND Tejas Krishna (at Rajasthan United until 31 May 2025)

Position	Name
Head coach	Panagiotis Dilmperis
Assistant coach	Konstantinos Katsaras
Indian Assistant coach	Sankarlal Chakraborty
Goalkeeping Coach	Manish Timsina
Strength & Conditioning Coach	Giannis Papaioannou
Team Manager	Kashif Kamran
Football Director	Nikolaos Topoliatis
Technical Director Youths	Giuseppe Cristaldi

Season	League				Super Cup	Durand Cup	Continental
	League	No. of Teams	Position	Play-offs			Competition	Position
2020–21	I-League	11	4th	—	—	—	DNQ
2021–22	I-League	13	5th			DNP
2022–23	I-League	12	1st		Group Stage
2023–24	ISL	12	8th	DNQ	Group Stage	Group Stage
2024–25	ISL	13				Quarter Finals

As of 10 April 2024

Season	Division								Top scorer
	Division	Position	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	Player	Goals
2020–21	I-League	4th	15	6	4	5	18	15	Chencho Gyeltshen	7
2021–22		5th	18	8	4	6	33	29	Kurtis Guthrie	13
2022–23		1st	22	16	4	2	45	16	Luka Majcen	16
2023–24	ISL	8th	22	6	6	10	28	35	Luka Majcen Wilmar Jordán	8

As of 10 April 2024

Name	Nationality	From	To	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	Win%	Ref.
Curtis Fleming	Ireland	15 June 2020	23 April 2021	15	6	4	5	18	15	040.00	[52]
Ashley Westwood	England	21 July 2021	23 March 2022	6	3	2	1	14	8	050.00	[53]
Ed Engelkes	Netherlands	23 March 2022	31 May 2022	12	5	2	5	19	21	041.67	[54]
Staikos Vergetis	Greece	8 August 2022	12 June 2024	52	23	13	16	76	60	044.23	[55]
Panagiotis Dilmperis	Greece	29 June 2024	present	12	7	2	3	24	13	058.33	[56]

The following RoundGlass Punjab players have been capped at senior/youth international level. Years in brackets indicate their spells at the club.^[57]

• Chencho Gyeltshen (2020–2021, 2023)^[58]
• Kiran Chemjong (2022–2024)^[59][60]
• Kurtis Guthrie (2021–2022)^[61][62]
• Adnan Šećerović (2022–2023)^[63]
• Aleksandar Ignjatović (2022–2023)^[64]
• Luka Majcen (2022–)^[65]
• Filip Mrzljak (2024–)^[66]
• Mushaga Bakenga (2024–)^[67]
• Asmir Suljić (2024–)^[68]

• I-League (as tier-II)^{[note 1]}
  • Champions (1): 2022–23^[69]
• Punjab Super League
  • Winners (1): 2022–23‡^[70]
• JSW U-18 Youth Cup
  • Winners (1): 2022†^[71]
• JSW U-13 Youth Cup
  • Winners (1): 2023†
  • Runners-up (1): 2022†^[72][73]
• KBN Youth Cup
  • Winners (1): 2022†^[74]
• Administrator's Challenge Cup
  • Champions (1): 2022‡^[75]

• Premier League Next Gen Cup
  • Third place (1): 2024^[76]

^‡ Reserve team

^† Academy team

Club's youth section was at first incorporated from Minerva Academy players and started participating in various age-group competitions of the Hero Youth League.^[77][78] In December 2023, club's football academy gained an 'elite category' accreditation by the All India Football Federation.^[79]

Reserve side won its first Punjab State Super Football League title in 2022–23.^[80] Managed by coach Sankarlal Chakraborty, the club clinched 2024 Reliance Foundation Development League title defeating East Bengal in final, and qualified for the PL Next Gen Cup.^[81][82] Club's under-17 team won Administrator's Challenge Cup title in Chndigarh in 2022.^[83]

The club also operates field hockey academy in Chandigarh, and its teams compete in various junior and sub-junior competitive events.^[84]

• List of football clubs in India

Bibliography

• Shreekumar, S. S. (15 August 2020). THE BEST WAY FORWARD FOR INDIA'S FOOTBALL. HSRA Publications. ISBN 9788194721697. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
• Sharma, Nikhil Paramjit; Gupta, Shantanu (4 February 2019). India's Football Dream. SAGE Publications India. ISBN 9789353283063. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2022.

Other sources

• "I am not going anywhere, will produce World Cuppers: Football entrepreneur Ranjit Bajaj". newindianexpress.com. New Delhi: The New Indian Express. 16 April 2020. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
• Chatterjee, Siraj (10 December 2020). "Punjabi Football on a Roar!". footballindia.co.in. Football India. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
• "RoundGlass Punjab mutually part ways with head coach Curtis Fleming". Khelnow.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
• "RoundGlass Punjab FC part ways with head coach Curtis Fleming". voiceofindiansports.com. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
• "I-League: Punjab FC parts ways with Ashley Westwood, rope in Ed Engelkes as new coach". indianexpress.com. 23 March 2022. Archived from the original on 27 March 2022. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
• "Roundglass Punjab vs Aizawl FC I-League 2021 Live Score & Commentary". Sportskeeda. 9 January 2021. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
• "Former Chesterfield defender Josef Yarney 'thrilled' to complete surprise move abroad". www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 December 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
• "Josef Yarney signs RoundGlass Punjab FC. Would he be a good fit?". footballexpress.in. 9 November 2021. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
• Guha, Sayantan (8 June 2022). ""Wanted to show India that even a 28-year-old could coach a team at this level" — Rajasthan United boss Francesc Bonet opens up about the ups and downs of the I-League season". sportskeeda.com. Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on 27 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
• "ISL 2023–24: Martinez strike guides FC Goa to win in its opening match of the season against Punjab". sportstar.thehindu.com. Chennai: Sportstar. 3 October 2023. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
• Mergulhao, Marcus (3 October 2023). "ISL: FC Goa Lucky To Escape With Win Against Punjab". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Chennai: The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 October 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.

• Punjab FC on Facebook
• Punjab FC on Twitter
• Punjab FC on Instagram
• Team profile at the-aiff.com (AIFF)
• Team archive at Arunava about Football