East Bengal head coach Antonio Habas urges fans to keep faith in team ahead of their first match against Churchill Brothers in ISL 2026-27

East Bengal to start their ISL title defence against Churchill Brothers in Goa.

East Bengal FC will start their 2026-27 Indian Super League (ISL) campaign against the Goan outfit, Churchill Brothers in an away game at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa on Sunday, 18 October (2026) at 5 PM (IST).

The Habas era begins in the ISL for the Torchbearers in Goa with this historic match against Churchill Brothers. Both teams will meet for the first time in the history of the ISL.

Under the direction of head coach Antonio Lopez Habas, the Torchbearers will try to overcome the formidable challenge presented by the Goan team and win all three points by combining defensive stability with offensive intent.

Before the all-important clash against Churchill Brothers, East Bengal FC head coach Antonio Lopez Habas and defender Anwar Ali have addressed the media in a virtual press meet over a zoom session.

Here, is the pre-match conference of East Bengal FC before they face off against Churchill Brothers in their first match of the ISL 2026-27 clash in Goa.

Habas comments on team’s preparations and his journey with East Bengal

East Bengal FC head coach Antonio Lopez Habas shares his thoughts on starting a new ISL campaign with the Red and Gold Brigade and the preparations of the team ahead of their first away game of the season against Churchill Brothers.

Habas stated: “We are starting our ISL campaign. It is very important for us to get a good start. We want to start on a positive note with a win.”

“I know Churchill Brothers from my time in I-League. They are a very strong team, so it will be a difficult match for us.”

“We are very much prepared for the ISL season. We had a very good pre-season. Not one but three pre-seasons. We had to play the Durand Cup, AFC Qualifiers, the IFA Shield and now the AFC group matches are on going. So we are well prepared for the season to begin, and it is a very important campaign for us as well.”

“Churchill have played well in their first match. They have started with a win and a dangerous team for us. We have to play well, this will be an important match for us to start our campaign in ISL 2026-27, he also added.”

Habas comments on his team’s defensive approach and Diego Zivulic

The Spaniard stated: “Diego is a very good player. You have to give him time to adjust with the conditions and again day by day he is improving and playing quite well. And going forward in the season, he will play more well, after getting more game time and by adjusting with the playing conditions as well.”

“I am very much happy with the team’s defensive shape and abilities. They are playing well, working hard in the training sessions. We have to be calm and believe in ourselves and keep faith in our players. We need to learn from our mistakes and rectify them.”

“And I think Hardik is also playing well, he is improving day by day. Yes he might make some mistakes in the last game. But you have to remember that he was involved in creating the goal scoring chances for us in the match as well. And I don’t want to discuss too much about that, we need to start a fresh.”

“Also one more thing Al-Shorta is a club from Iraq and they are placed in top 50 in the FIFA rankings and India is 138, so considering that, we had played well, fought hard and need to level up our game in the upcoming games of the season, he added.”

Habas on the approach against Churchill Brothers

Antonio Habas, head coach of the Red and Gold Brigade, outlined the team’s approach ahead of their ISL 2026–27 campaign opener against Churchill Brothers.

Habas said, “My team and my players are fully prepared for this match. It will be a tough match for us, but we have to play with the same intensity that we have shown so far this season.”

“We have great respect for Churchill Brothers, but we have to play our best game. Our main objective will be to win the match and secure all three points.”

“Churchill Brothers are a very strong team, so we have to be at our best, remain focused, and be clinical in front of goal to win this match. For me, the approach remains the same in every tournament. It is simple: we have to compete with full determination and confidence.”

“We have to adapt to the warm conditions in Goa and approach this away fixture against a strong opponent like Churchill Brothers with full determination. I am glad that we are getting a full season this time, as that is the only difference compared to last season. Finally, the fans need to have faith in the team and the players,” Habas concluded.

Anwar Ali on the preparations and his combination with Diego Zivulic

Anwar Ali shared his thoughts on his defensive partnership with Diego Zivulic and discussed East Bengal FC’s approach ahead of the start of their ISL 2026–27 campaign.

Anwar said, “It is very important to play more matches and get more game time this season, with a full regular season in the ISL. We are well prepared for the season and want to start our campaign on a positive note with a win.”

“I know we made a few mistakes in the last match, but we will try to rectify them in our next game. We are improving day by day.”

“I think Diego and I will improve and perform well if we get more game time together. He is new to India and is still adapting to the conditions here. Soon, he will get accustomed to them, and we will perform well in our upcoming games,” Anwar concluded.

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