After nine years Dempo SC, the five-time National League champion, is back in the I-League this season.

But this time the club with golden heritage is on a different mission. That is to bring out potential young footballers from Goa and place them in the mainstream of Indian football. The club has a state-of-the-art academy at Ella in old Goa and the club's top brass has been exploring and scouting talents for the last seven to eight years since it started its journey in 2017. 

The reflection of this effort is going to be witnessed in the upcoming I-League. Dempo SC, among its registered 25 footballers including the foreigners so far, has registered 15 to 18 footballers who have been groomed at the club academy. 

Looking forward to Dempo’s upcoming journey in Indian football, the club's top brass has a long-term vision, to progress in the I-league gradually and ensure qualification for the country's top-tier league ISL within the next five years, but with the hard work of academy footballers mostly. That might be the reason the club even after returning to the I-league after nine years, has made a stringent budget. 

Still, four foreigners are likely to join the team. Coach and former Dempo SC footballer, Samir Naik is depending on the strikers from Nigeria and Serbia as the team does not have an experienced and positive striker. 

The team’s top score in the I-league-2 Rahul Paswan however failed to continue with Dempo as he was not released by Diamond Harbour FC which has qualified for the I-League-2 this season. So the team have only a positive Indian striker Shivam Raut. But he does not seem fully fit so far. 

“Naturally I will have to depend on the foreign footballers who are expected to arrive any time. If we had Rahul Paswan in the I-League then our upfront would have been stronger. Still, our young potential boys, although do not have the experience of participating in the I-League, will deliver their best. I do not doubt their effort," Samir Naik revealed. 

Dempo SC will be playing the first six away matches in the League. Samir seemed quite concerned about the fixture. 

However, the club has planned to play its home matches in the I-League at the academy ground in Ella this season. If the AIFF does not approve it then Dempo SC may choose Vasco ground as the venue for their home matches.