Second time lucky? As Kitchee spend another summer rebuilding, what can fans expect?
It is fair to say the last couple of seasons have been disastrous for Kitchee given their dominance of Hong Kong football of the last twenty years. Consecutive 4th place finishes have been the culmination of poor recruitment, and last season Kitchee missed out on continental football for a second season in a row for the first time in fifteen years, with a rare trophyless campaign the result of a range of issues.
The end of the 24/25 season saw Edgar Cardoso relieved of his duties, after a turbulent season with a lot of fan criticism online and from the stands. Fourteen players departed, including seven of the ten summer signings, as well as legends Helio and Fernando ending their long spells at the club. Six players have been brought in, along with players being promoted from the academy. There has been a clear shift in recruitment policy; four of the six signings have experience of the league, and the two arrivals from Spain are unlikely to have demanded the incredibly high salaries that have crippled Kitchee in recent years. The club have seemingly switched their approach from an over-reliance on ageing local players and overpaid foreigners into a younger squad with more hunger to work and develop. A very common criticism of Kitchee in recent years (from fans and rivals alike) is the stagnation of younger players from the academy; with a more streamlined squad, these young players will hopefully be given more chances to impress. With both Jay Haddow and Callum Beattie in the final stages of the lengthy process to obtain Hong Kong passports, the current ten foreign players on the roster will become eight.
Former Brighton & Hove Albion right back Iñigo Calderón was appointed the other week, with rumours over the past few months suggesting a host of foreign managers with previous connections to Hong Kong. At senior level, his only managerial spell saw Bristol Rovers got relegated from the third tier of English football. But despite this, a number of fans were sad to see him go owing to his efforts to rebuild fan relations, and coping with difficult circumstances on and off the pitch. Prior to his spell at Bristol Rovers, he worked as a youth coach at Alaves in Spain and Brighton, two of his former clubs. He was highly regarded at both clubs for proactive, free-flowing football, and having faith in young players, allowing them to develop. Watching the media day training and speaking to players confirmed what fans of his previous clubs had made clear; ‘Calde’ is a perfectionist who sets high expectations, and the training is intense, with a lot of emphasis on small-sided possession based games, and he is willing to give youth a chance. Again, a major difference from Kitchee managers in recent years.
New centre back Roger Riera emphasised the need for the experienced guys to encourage the teenagers; only six of the twenty-eight man squad are over thirty years old, and twelve are aged 22 or younger. New left back Callum Beattie, who earned a lot of praise in a struggling HKFC last year, is looking forward to the increased professionalism of Kitchee, both in training but also in conditioning, as he seeks to take his game to the next level, hopefully resulting in a Hong Kong call up as the season goes on.
Jay Haddow, one of only three signings from last summer to reach a second season, was very reflective on last campaign. Growing up watching Kitchee, he stated that teams were fearful of Kitchee’s dominance on the ball, and teams could only win by playing out of their skin. In recent years this aura has dissipated, but he is confident the personnel and tactical philosophy are in place to restore this, with Calde’s attention to detail and high standards from his time spent in the UK helping to avoid complacency. His injury recovery and lack of a passport meant he spent a lot of the summer training with the young players promoted, and he has high hopes for them, hoping that they can join them on the preseason trip to Thailand starting next week, where Kitchee will play two friendlies, as well as a behind closed doors match. He told us that while Kitchee are a big club and will want to win everything, there is a need to be realistic, with the club being in a rebuilding phase of the project, with a good blend of personalities creating a very positive environment.
Iñigo Calderón graciously gave us a lengthy interview, where he was thankful of the welcome he’d received in Hong Kong, although not such a fan of the humidity in which he was doing preseason training. He emphasised the focus on giving opportunities to the young players this season, especially in preseason, to see if they can be key parts of the first team squad. He hopes to rebuild the connection between the fans and the club, with possession-based football hopefully leading to good results. He hinted that there could still be new arrivals, but was also pleased with what he had currently, not wanting to sign players for the sake of it. His family will join him in the city in the coming weeks.
The club are still yet to confirm the home stadium for next season, with Tseung Kwan O’s refurbishments forcing Lee Man to move to Mong Kok. Kai Tak Sports Ground is vacant but talk of high running costs may put off the Kitchee higher-ups. Another option is one of the remaining sports grounds, such as Tsing Yi, although this comes with issues of poorer surfaces. Wherever Kitchee end up, it is clear their fans will be watching a much younger but much more together squad, with a charismatic manager willing to give youth a chance. Dreaming of a title may be too ambitious for Kitchee given their rivals have also strengthened, but developing a well-rounded squad and challenging for a trophy (an FA Cup win would bring about ACL qualification) should be realistic aims, and go a long way to rebuilding the club, and bring back high attendances, as numbers have dwindled as on-pitch performance got worse.
