Punjab F.C.

Punjab Football Club (formerly known as RoundGlass Punjab FC) is an Indian professional football club founded in Mohali, Punjab. The club competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of the Indian football league system. It was the first club to win promotion into the Indian Super League, doing so after winning the 2022–23 I-League title.

History

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

In August 2022, Staikos Vergetis was appointed as the new head coach of RoundGlass Punjab. 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. They ended the season with 52 points in 22 league matches.

RoundGlass Punjab later participated in the 2023 Indian Super Cup. 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. 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. 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. The club achieved their first away win later on 12 February 2024, defeating Kerala Blasters 3–1 in Kochi. The club registered their biggest win on 10 April defeating East Bengal 4–1, ended the league campaign with 24 points in 22 matches. In the 2024–25 Indian Super League, Punjab ended their regular season campaign in tenth place, gaining 28 points. On 22 April, the club defeated previous season's runners-up side Odisha 3–0 in Super Cup and reached quarter-finals.

Crest, colours & kits

Punjab FC's home kit primarily features a vibrant orange base, often paired with black or white accents. The away kit typically comes in white with orange or black highlights, maintaining consistency with the home kit while offering a fresh look. The club's third kit may feature a contrasting color, such as black or navy blue, providing variety while staying aligned with the team's core colors.

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Stadiums

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

Previously, Punjab FC played at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in the I-League. The stadium has a capacity of 12,000 spectators. The club also has used Guru Nanak Stadium as their home ground.

Players

First-team squad

Out on loan

Personnel

Current Technical Staff

Records and statistics

Overall Performance

League statistics

Managerial record

Notable players

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

* Chencho Gyeltshen (2020–2021, 2023)
* Kurtis Guthrie (2021–2022)
* Adnan Šećerović (2022–2023)
* Aleksandar Ignjatović (2022–2023)
* Kiran Chemjong (2022–2024)
* Luka Majcen (2022–)
* Filip Mrzljak (2024–)
* Mushaga Bakenga (2024–)
* Asmir Suljić (2024–)

Honours

Domestic

*I-LeagueFrom 2017–18 season until 2021–22 season, I-League and Indian Super League shared joint top flight status. Following the Indian football roadmap, Indian Super League became the sole top-tier league in the country from 2022–23, and I-League became the second tier.
**Champions (1): 2022–23

Other department(s)

Football: Reserves and academy

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. In December 2023, club's football academy gained an 'elite category' accreditation by the All India Football Federation.

Reserve side won its first Punjab State Super Football League title in 2022–23. 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. Club's under-17 team won Administrator's Challenge Cup title in Chandigarh in 2022.

Apart from the reserve and academy sides, the club operates 15 grassroot football centres across Punjab including Pandori Ran Singh and Bibipura in Tarn Taran, Dhilwan in Kapurthala, Jaito Sarja in Gurdaspur, Sant Baba Hari Singh Model School in Mahalpur and Mustabaad in Fategharh Sahib, with plans to expand to 25 by the end of 2025.

Honours

* Punjab Super League
**Champions (1): 2022–23‡
* JSW U-18 Youth Cup
**Champions (1): 2022†
* JSW U-13 Youth Cup
**Champions (1): 2023†
**Runners-up (1): 2022†
*KBN Youth Cup
**Champions (1): 2022†
*Administrator's Challenge Cup
**Champions (1): 2022‡
* Dream Sports Championship
** Champions (2): 2024, 2025
* Premier League Next Gen Cup
** Third place (1): 2024
* AIFF U-17 Elite Youth League
**Champions (1): 2025
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:^‡ Reserve team
:^† Academy team

Field hockey

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

Tennis

The club also runs a tennis academy, with several players including Yuki Bhambri associated to them as mentors. The team and players were monitored by Aditya Sachdeva, who was the technical director of RoundGlass Tennis Academy. The academy supported and trained players including Karman Thandi.

See also

* List of football clubs in India

Footnotes

References

General sources

Bibliography

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Further reading

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External links

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Team profile
at ''the-aiff.com'' (AIFF)

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Punjab FC
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RoundGlass Punjab FC
RoundGlass Punjab FC
RoundGlass Punjab FC