By Dhruv Shah,

AIFF Media Team

NEW DELHI: The Hero I-League 2021-22 season is just a fortnight away and with all the teams raring to go and show what they have got, Churchill Brothers FC are on the same path as well.

Having narrowly missed out on the trophy last season, head coach, Petre Gigiu, has his eye set on only one goal which is winning the Hero I-League title. Speaking with https://i-league.org ahead of the upcoming season, Petre outlined the objectives of the club, how the team has been preparing for the tournament, and the strengths of his team. EXCERPTS:

You are making a comeback to Churchill Brothers FC, one of the most successful teams in the history of the Hero I-League. What are your objectives this season?

The main reason I have come back to India is to finish what I didn’t achieve three years ago, to win the third I-League title for this historic club. We have a very exciting group of players and we are ready to go for the new season.

In the last season, your team was inches away from winning the title. How do you think you can improve on that and cross the final hurdle?

As I said, I believe we have a very good core group of players and some talented youngsters as well. We have a good representation of local talent and have promoted a few from the Goa pro league this season. I am also pleased with the recruitment of the management with regards to the foreigners.

The owner, Churchill Alemao, and CEO, Valanka Alemao, are some of the most passionate people I have worked with. Churchill is a club that always competes for the title. What happened last year is the past and the team is raring to go again.

What are the preparations that you have gone through ahead of the new season? Have you held any training camps or pre-season friendlies?

So far, we have had a good pre-season tour. We played a couple of friendlies against Goa pro league clubs and against a few Hero Indian Super League teams as well. We won our games against Sporting Clube de Goa by 3-1, against Vasco Sports Club by 4-0 and in another fixture against Sporting we won 3-0. The mood in the camp is positive and we will be looking to build on the back of these performances.

Which player has impressed you the most in training and during the pre-season?

All my players are equal for me. I am glad that there is healthy competition for each and every spot in the starting XI, which makes it difficult for me as a coach as well.

What is your opinion on the new arrivals?

As I said earlier, all my players are equals for me. I don’t want to talk a lot about any player in particular. It’s just a matter of time before the fans get to see what this Churchill Brothers team is all about and that is what I am looking forward to the most.

Churchill Brothers FC will face defending champions Gokulam Kerala FC on the opening day of the Hero I-League season which is slated to kick off on December 26, 2021.