Margao: Dimitris Dimitriou began with a “sincere condolence message” as the world of football mourns the on-field death of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel. “It’s very sad to see such moments,” the Churchill Bros coach said during his pre-match media interaction on Wednesday.Before he could take questions, Dimitriou also congratulated club CEO Valanka Alemao for being the first woman to be elected president of the Goa Football Association (GFA). “It means a lot, not only for the club but also Goan football. Expect better days and progress in Goan football,” he said.You could say the same about Dimitriou and his team too.After the high of a win on debut in the Indian Super League (ISL) against Mumbai City, Churchill have been punctured with two consecutive losses against East Bengal and Punjab FC. The debutants could not be faulted for effort, or the lack of it, but in the early stages of the league with the team yet to settle down, such mixed results are not a surprise.“In the whole world and in our league, the teams are built around foreigners that are coming in. Every week we have a new foreigner and we have to field them in league matches since we did not play friendlies (during pre-season training),” Dimitriou told TOI. “Our (starting) 11 is made through league games but the team is structured. I hope from this week, we will be more stable and disciplined in what we want to do. These boys can do a lot of things, but they need time.”After back-to-back defeats at home, Churchill host unbeaten NorthEast United at the Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Thursday. The fixture marks the first meeting between the two clubs in the league. Their only previous encounter took place in the 2023 Super Cup in Kozhikode, a chaotic nine-goal thriller where NorthEast United secured a 6-3 victory.“NorthEast are a traditional ISL team. They come from a traditional area that produces good players. This is a very special game for us because we need the three points, whatever way it comes. We will fight,” said Dimitriou, who blamed “childish mistakes” for the losses.Kingslee Fernandes has been a victim of the instability with the 11. The captain was a starter in the opening win against Mumbai but was left on the bench for the next two. Dimitriou said there was not much to read into this. It was the Cyprus coach who handpicked the midfielder as the club captain, took him to Gokulam Kerala last season, and continues to believe that he can deliver.“There is no doubting Kingslee’s personality or his abilities. Sometimes in football, you have to take such decisions,” he said.Kingslee has taken everything in his stride and believes it’s only a matter of time before he, and the team, matches up to the coach’s expectations.“In football, there are wins and losses, and as professionals we have to move forward,” said Kingslee. “We are all united in the dressing room. We have a very good coach. The NorthEast clash is a new game for us. We are looking for a positive result.”
