Churchill Bros keep faith in coach Dimitriou for ISL debut | Goa News
Panaji: Several players of Churchill Brothers FC have returned to the club as they prepare for their debut in the Indian Super League (ISL) this season.Now, coach Dimitris Dimitriou is back as well.The UEFA Pro Licence coach from Cyprus managed Churchill during the impressive 2024-25 campaign when the club came within a win of becoming champions. The Goan side finished second behind Inter Kashi FC after losing two appeals at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).In protest, Churchill did not take part in last season’s Indian Football League (IFL), the second-tier league in the country. Dimitriou, whose introduction to Indian football was with Neroca FC, moved to Gokulam Kerala last season and has now returned to Goa’s family-run club.“There were six former ISL coaches who applied, besides two others with experience in the Europa and Conference League,” a senior club official told TOI on Sunday. “Our choice was always Dimitris. He knows the club very well, understands the mindset. He was also successful when he was here.”During his time at the club in 2024-25, Dimitriou got the best out of Churchill’s young players. The foreigners, too, delivered, and at least one of them – Colombian midfielder Sebastian Gutierrez – will be keen to have the coach back.Churchill will make their debut in the ISL this season after Tata Steel approved the transfer of its entire 100% stake in Jamshedpur Football and Sporting Private Limited (JFSPL), the company that owns Jamshedpur FC, to the Goan club for a nominal consideration of ₹100. The sporting license that allowed Jamshedpur to compete in the ISL since 2017 has also been transferred to Churchill.Churchill’s agreement with Tata Steel means the Goan club is to take over the “financial responsibilities” of Jamshedpur’s contracted players and coaches, if they want to make the move.ISL-winning coach Owen Coyle and his assistant Alexander Stewart had the option of moving to the two-time former I-League champions but turned it down. Their dues for the season will now be cleared by Jamshedpur.This season’s ISL is expected to kick off on Oct 10.
