I-League: Title, and nothing less, for Churchill Bros

Panaji: Dimitris Dimitriou was not supposed to be the coach of Churchill Brothers FC this season.
The two-time former I-League champions were satisfied with what Francesc Bonet had done last season: joining the squad midway into the campaign, he took the team mid table. It wasn’t the way Churchill wanted to finish the season, but there was plenty of promise on the field.
Bonet, though, faced immigration issues at the airport, which meant he could not return to India to take up the Churchill assignment. When it became clear that there was no way out, the club decided to put their faith in Dimitris Dimitriou.
The Cypriot coach is not new to Indian football. In fact, his record with TRAU in the I-League was excellent. The Manipur club hired the services of the coach midway into their I-League campaign in 2020. They were then without a win, and Dimitriou responded by leading the club to four straight wins, besides two draws. However, the experienced coach was unceremoniously shown the door, even after he took the I-League debutants from the bottom to third on the table.
“The past is past, history has noted (what happened) and now I am here to help Churchill Brothers, to reach their goal of winning the I-League,” Dimitriou told TOI at the end of a training session at Utorda. “I am very happy to be here, to be back in Indian football. I must thank the CEO, owners, for giving me an opportunity at one of the well-established and well-known clubs. My first stint (with TRAU), I believe was successful. We had a winning streak, the boys went on to play in ISL. As a football coach, what is my job? To work for football, to coach, to teach, and educate players. I think I was successful on that front.”
At Churchill Bros, success is measured differently: the currency is trophies.
Churchill have won major trophies in Indian football and take pride in the two I-League triumphs (2008-09 and 2012-13). The club rarely advertises that they’ve finished runnersup a record five times, a number that counts for little or nothing. Like they say, nobody remembers the time you finished second.
It's what club owner Churchill Alemao reminded Dimitriou during their first meeting at the club headquarters in Varca.
“He’s very passionate, the family loves football, and it’s their passion that drives this club. This is a real family-run club, and Alemao wants to see his club in the ISL (Indian Super League). It is a club that has won the I-League multiple times. I was chosen as the leader of this attempt to win again. I’ve given him my word that I will give it my all,” said Dimitriou.
Before Churchill confirmed Dimitriou as the coach, most of the players were already in place. Only one foreign player -- Aubin Kouakou (Ivory Coast) -- was retained from last season’s campaign, while the new signings, Pape Gassama (Senegal), Sebastian Gutierrez (Colombia), Juan Mera (Spain), Kurtis Guthrie (Scotland) and Wayde Lekay (South Africa), all arrived with a good biodata.
Among the domestic platers, Lamgoulen Hangshing and Nischal Chandan will continue to provide solidity at the back, while the likes of Richard Costa, Faisal Ali, Trijoy Dias, Stendly Fernandes, Anil Gaonkar and Lalawmpuia Sailo will provide Dimitriou with plenty of options to decide on his starting 11.
“The players that were chosen (before coach’s arrival) are very good, there’s quality. We are lucky that we have six good-quality foreigners. I am amazed to see the skill sets of the local (Goan) and domestic players. I believe we can make a very good mixture to fight for the title,” said Dimitriou.
Proof of how good Churchill are will only be available on Sunday when the travel to Lajong for the opener. But if you wanted signs that Dimitriou, and his team, is on the right track, it was provided last week as they drubbed Dempo SC 4-1 in a friendly.