The familiar intensity is back at Calicut FC. With the Super League Kerala season approaching, the Kozhikode-based side is once again putting in the hard yards under the Malabar sun, but there is a different sense of purpose around the squad this time.

At the heart of that preparation is Ever Demalde, the Argentine coach who has returned to the Calicut FC dugout after guiding the team through an impressive league campaign last season. Calicut finished at the top of the table in the league phase, but their run ended in the semi-finals, leaving Demalde and his players to reflect on what might have been.

Instead of seeking a fresh challenge elsewhere, Demalde chose to return to Kozhikode. For the Argentine coach, the unfinished nature of last season’s campaign became a reason to come back rather than a reason to move on.

Returning to finish the job

Demalde remembers last season fondly, particularly the way Calicut performed during the league stage. But the semi-final defeat remains a difficult memory.

“Last year was a nice moment that I lived here. For me, we were one of the best teams in the championship,” Demalde said, looking back at their previous campaign. “I watched again the match in the semi-final, and it was bad luck. This was the reason that I preferred to come here to have another opportunity.”

The return, however, does not mean Demalde expects his team to automatically reproduce last season’s success. With squads changing and every club starting again from zero, the coach believes the new campaign needs to be treated as an entirely separate challenge.

“This is a new history. This year is a new history,” he emphasized. “All the teams are prepared to win the championship. I expect it to be a very tough championship. But I tell you again, this is a new history and all can happen.”

Lessons from Bielsa and beyond

Demalde’s football education has taken him through several demanding environments. His experience includes working with Marcelo Bielsa at Olympique de Marseille, Bert van Marwijk during his time with the Saudi Arabia national team and Diego Dabove in Argentina.

Those experiences have shaped his tactical thinking, but Demalde does not believe coaching is about imposing one predetermined system on every squad. Instead, he prefers to adapt his approach according to the characteristics of the players available.

“The coaches that I have worked with Bielsa, Van Marwijk also in Saudi Arabia, Dabove also in Argentina those learnings were very important for me,” Demalde explained. “But sometimes you need to choose the way that you are going to play regarding the style of the players. The players have different conditions. Sometimes you need to change, and this is our job. The job of the coach is to try to find the best performance of the players that you have in this moment.”

Building a team, not just assembling players

Calicut FC have made several additions to their squad as they prepare for the new SLK campaign, with Argentine striker Maximiliano Urruti among the most notable arrivals.

Urruti’s career has included more than a decade in Major League Soccer, where he represented clubs including Portland Timbers, FC Dallas and Austin FC. His experience gives Calicut another established attacking option, but Demalde insists that individual quality alone will not determine the team’s success.

“The players are good. Last year also was good,” Demalde noted. “Of course, you can have good players, but you need to have a team. We are all one team players, staff. We need to build one team to have the opportunity to win our matches.”

For Demalde, Urruti also brings qualities that extend beyond his experience and ability in front of goal.

“He is a fantastic player. For us, he is very important,” the manager stated warmly. “Also, he is a fantastic person. This is also very, very important for us.”

That emphasis on team spirit is particularly relevant during a short pre-season, when coaches have limited time to integrate new players and establish tactical understanding.

Demalde’s call for a longer football calendar

Having spent time working within Indian football, Demalde has also developed a perspective on the structure of the domestic game.

While he speaks positively about the Super League Kerala’s organisation and the enthusiasm of its supporters, he believes Indian players and clubs would benefit from having competitive football spread across a longer period of the year.

“One of the big differences is that we have the championship all through the year,” Demalde pointed out. “I think if this league can be during one full year, it should be much better, because players need to continue to play more matches during the entire year. The same kind of competition is very good for the players and also for the clubs. In Argentina and in Europe, we have the same tournament all year. Here, it is only three or four months, and it is a very short championship.”

He believes extending the competition would provide players with more opportunities to develop while allowing clubs to establish greater continuity.

“The Super League Kerala is very nice. The organization is very nice, the fans are very nice, everything is good. But if this Super League Kerala can continue for more time, spend more time in a year, it is better also.”

Racing against the clock

With Calicut FC’s season opener scheduled for September 26, Demalde and his coaching staff have only a limited window to bring together a squad featuring both returning players and new arrivals.

The challenge is not simply physical preparation. Establishing patterns of play, developing understanding between players and ensuring the squad reaches competitive sharpness are all part of the final stretch of pre-season.

“Right now, we are building the team. It is a very short time that we have to build the team, but we try to get to the first match in the best performance possible,” Demalde said.

A special bond with the Calicut supporters

One of the defining features of Calicut FC’s campaign last season was the passionate support surrounding the club. Demalde knows that connection with the fans will again be important as the team begins another SLK journey.

Rather than promising trophies or making grand predictions, the Argentine coach has asked supporters to continue providing the same energy while the team focuses on giving its best on the pitch.

“We ask them to continue to give their support,” Demalde concluded. “We try to do our best every match. But then, it is football. Everything can happen, you can win, you can lose, you can draw. But their support for us is very, very special, and we need it.”