NEW DELHI: One of the most successful clubs of the I-League era, Churchill Brothers have a golden opportunity to reach those dizzying heights this season now that East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are not in the fray. However, their new coach Santiago Varela is refusing to get carried away.
The Goan club are the second most successful club in the competition's history having won the title on two occasions, the last of which came in the 2012-13 season. Varela, who coached Gokulam Kerala last season, feels all the other teams are dangerous and will start on equal footing.
"You cannot say that just because East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are not there, we can get the title. We have to respect all the teams. Real Kashmir, Gokulam Kerala and even debutants Sudeva Delhi FC will all pose a different sort of challenge. This year there are lot of external factors at play as well," the Argentine said during a virtual meet.
Staying in a bio-bubble for the duration of the league is one of those factors which can weigh heavily on the minds of players. And having played under similar conditions during the I-League qualifiers, newly-roped in goalkeeper Shilton Paul is helping his new teammates to adjust to this new normal.
"It was quite good the way the Indian Football Association (West Bengal's football governing body) organised the second division. I have been sharing my experiences with my teammates about how it was like in the bio bubble. It will be difficult because we are away from our families and without spectators at the stadium. We have to be very focused and motivated and mental strength will be required. It will not be easy but together we can manage," the goalie explained.
The Red Machines are currently undergoing quarantine in Kolkata and their first match is against the Indian Arrows on January 10. Churchill began their pre-season in Goa from the second week of November and Varela is not too pleased with the schedule but he admits there is very little teams can do about it. "Such a short pre-season is not good. You cannot expect teams to start firing after a week's worth of training. It would have been better if we had reached Kolkata earlier but the conditions are the same for all teams. We cannot make excuses. We have to be ready and show our mentality to play in these conditions."
The team had the option of trying to loan players from various ISL clubs but the coach felt it is imperative to hone the talents of local recruits rather than splurging on other players.
"I'm very happy with the squad. We have a mix of experienced players like Shilton and young players who are ready to play their first I-League campaign. We don't think we will loan any player from the ISL. The club's objective was very clear when I came on board and that was to help Goan players. So I am focusing on them and I will do everything to help them grow, like I showed last year with Gokulam Kerala," he signed off.