Odisha FC has appointed TG Purushothaman as the club’s head coach for the upcoming ISL season.
The much-awaited 10-month break for Odisha FC players and fans is over. After their last performance in the 2025 Super Cup, the Juggernauts will compete on the pitch again today when they host Inter Kashi FC at the Kalinga Stadium in their first match of the 2025/26 ISL season.
Their first home match against Punjab FC was postponed due to issues with the club’s training facilities and stadium.
The club has made quite a few changes in terms of squad. They have lost many key members of the team, including coach Sergio Lobera. Former Kerala Blasters assistant and interim head coach TG Purushothaman has been appointed as the head coach.
They also made some crucial acquisitions to bolster their squad after the losses of Jerry Mawia, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Amey Ranawade and others.
Ahead of the first ISL match against Inter Kashi, head coach TG Purushothaman and captain Carlos Delgado addressed the media and this is what they had to say.
Purushothaman’s thoughts on the opportunity to lead Odisha FC as head coach
Everyone in Indian football is aware that Odisha FC is going through financial difficulties. However, these unpredictable circumstances have made it possible for an Indian coach like TG Purushothaman to lead a team in the Indian Super League, the country’s premier football competition.
Purushothaman expressed his joy at being appointed as the club’s coach and thanked the management for the opportunity.
“It is a privilege to sit here and I feel very honored to be here with this great club. I am very grateful that everyone is here. We have very promising youngsters and experienced players. It is a mix of both. We are trying to create a structure with discipline and fighting spirit. That is just the beginning, step by step we are moving forward like this,” added TG Purushothaman.
Purushothaman on whether local players will be given more opportunities?
“For me, it’s about performance and what they do in training. It doesn’t matter if it’s a senior, junior, local or international player, it doesn’t matter. What matters is the performance, what the team needs and what they can give to the team. And the fighting spirit and how they maintain the pressure and how they contribute to the well-being of the team. It doesn’t matter if they are local players or not. If they perform, they are in,” Purushothaman insisted.
Also read: ISL 2025-26: Odisha FC’s planned lineup for the upcoming season
Purushothaman’s thoughts on goals for the upcoming season
As mentioned earlier, Odisha FC’s squad for the upcoming season is much weaker than previous seasons under Sergio Lobera. However, they have been able to retain a substantial part of their Indian core while also adding some more talented local players.
Talking about realistic expectations for the upcoming season, the former Kerala Blasters assistant coach stressed that playing well is more important than results.
Talking about the goals, Purushothaman added: “It is step by step (process), one by one that we are achieving. We have to see what we can achieve after two or three matches. And we must also be positive, performance matters. Don’t focus on the results. Let the results come when we perform well. I believe in that and I hope everything is fine.”
“As we analyze the opponents, they are a good team. Their performance in the last match was quite good. Let’s see what happens and how we can exploit their weaknesses and how we can maintain our strength. So, it depends on that. Let’s see what happens tomorrow,” TG Purushothaman added.
Carlos Delgado addresses defensive concerns
Carlos Delgado is the only foreign player in the ISL 2025/26 squad. Last season, despite having good defensive players, Odisha FC could not help but concede goals, conceding 40 in 25 matches in all competitions.
Without Amey, Jerry, Fall and Narender Gahlot, the defense will only weaken. Despite these flaws, Delgado is prepared to lead the team and believes they have enough talent.
“Last season was difficult for us. And this season, obviously, we need to be compact and we need to be together. We have very good players in defense, like Thoiba, Subham, Gama and many good players. They have a lot of experience. We need to try to be compact. When you are defending, you need to defend with 11 players. If the defense is too open, then you will suffer. So, this is the most important thing now. Try to play and be hectic and compact like 11 players, not just four,” Delgado commented.
Carlos Delgado’s message to the fans
“The fans for us will be crucial this season. They will be the twelfth man at the top of the team because they finally gave us a lot in the previous season. We saw how they supported us. This season, more than ever, we will need it. So please come to the stadium and support the team because fighting together we will be a stronger team,” Carlos Delgado pleaded.
Purushothaman’s Message to Indian Football Stakeholders:
“Everyone is suffering from the situations that happen in football. And we have to solve these problems. So whatever happens, we have to solve it in a good way without harming anyone or anything. It has to be, find the solution, that’s all. If we don’t play, it’s difficult. Without clubs, without matches, there is nothing. So that is the only problem. So, we have to solve it in a good way,” asked TG Purushothaman.
How many foreigners does Odisha FC have?
Carlos Delgado is the only foreigner in Odisha FC’s squad for ISL 2025/26.
Where can I watch the Odisha FC vs Inter Kashi FC match?
The match will be broadcast live on Sony Ten 2, while fans will be able to watch the action live digitally on the FanCode platform.
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