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Churchill Brothers‘ I-League title hopes have received a huge setback, as influential Lebanese international center-back Bilal Najjarin is going to leave the Goan club and join UAE’s Fujairah SC. The goalless draw against Mumbai FC on Thursday was Bilal’s last game for Churchill.
It was learnt that the offer from the UAE outfit was too good to refuse, and Bilal, now 31, didn’t want to let the opportunity slip. Bilal, who had signed a one-year deal with Churchill Brothers last summer, had a clause in his contract which allowed him to leave if a better offer from outside India came along.
Bilal has been the best defender in this I-League, and is one of the main reasons behind Churchill’s impressive form, as he has often almost single-handedly protected the Goan club’s defence.
Hence, the news will come as a massive boost for the other title contenders, but the Churchill Brothers club management are confident of getting an adequate replacement before the close of the winter window in the middle of February.
Bilal will be released by Churchill on Friday, and it remains to be seen how the rest of the squad reacts to the Lebanese player’s departure.
