Kitchee Sports Club (Chinese: 傑志體育會; Jyutping: Git6zi3 Tai2juk6wui2; [kit̚˨ tsi˧ tʰɐj˧˥ jʊk̚˨ wuj˧˥]; pinyin: Jiézhì tǐyù huì) is a Hong Kong professional football club based in Kowloon. It was founded in 1931 and currently competes in the Hong Kong Premier League.
 | |||
| Full name | Kitchee Sports Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Hong Kong Barça (香港巴塞) The Bluewaves The Bluebirds (藍鳥) | ||
| Founded | 1931 | ||
| Ground | Mong Kok Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 6,664 | ||
| President | Ken Ng | ||
| Head coach | Edgar Cardoso | ||
| League | Hong Kong Premier League | ||
| 2023–24 | Premier League, 4th of 11 | ||
| Website | www | ||
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The club has won 12 league titles, including six Hong Kong First Division titles and six Hong Kong Premier League titles. They also won nine Senior Shields and seven Hong Kong FA Cups. The club is also the first Hong Kong club to win a game in AFC Champions League group stage and to advance to the round of 16 of the competition.
History
Formation
In the late 1920s, a group of Hong Kongers formed a football team in order to compete in the Hong Kong Third Division. It was not until 1931, however, that the team was established as Kitchee Sports Club.[1]
Kitchee was founded as a grassroots organization, as such, they lacked the funding to pay the administrative and facilities costs necessary to become a multi sports club.
It was not until 1934 when the club were able to raise the money to rent an office at 130 Johnston Road in Wan Chai, that they were admitted as members of the Hong Kong Football Association.[2]
World War II
In 1939, Japanese bombs hit Hong Kong during the Second Sino-Japanese War.[3] The club's records during this time were destroyed during the bombing.
As the Pacific War began, Hong Kong fell to the Japanese on 25 December 1941, therefore the club's operations were suspended during the three-year, eight-month Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.
After the Japanese surrender of Hong Kong in August 1945, former members of Kitchee returned to the club. They resolved to help revitalize the Chinese Amateur Athletic Federation of Hong Kong and establish the Chinese Football Association of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Chinese Football Referees’ Association and the Hong Kong Chinese Footballer's Fraternity.[4]
Post War to 1964
Following the war, Kitchee were admitted into the 1947–48 Hong Kong First Division League where they won the league title, the club's first major trophy. Between 1947 and 1964, the club won three Hong Kong First Division titles, one Second Division title, four Hong Kong Senior Shield's and one Hong Kong Junior Shield.
During this period, Kitchee discovered Hong Kong football legends Yiu Cheuk Yin and Lam Sheung Yee. Yiu led the club to its first two First Division titles and later became known as the "Treasure of Hong Kong Football."[5] Lam spent a total 14 years at Kitchee, split between two spells, and was a part of every Kitchee squad which won a trophy between 1948 and 1964.[6]
1964 to 2003
In 1965–66, Kitchee won only one game while drawing four others in the season, finishing second bottom of the table. The club were relegated after a 17-year spell in the top flight. In the subsequent season, Kitchee slid into the Third Division for the first time in three decades.
In the late 1980s, Law Ding Chun was hired as the new chairman of Kitchee. Law moved quickly to modernize the operations of Kitchee, buying insurance for all of his players in order to provide them with peace of mind in the event of an injury. His changes worked as Kitchee were soon promoted back to the Second Division.
In 1991–92, Kitchee won the Second Division title, returning to the top flight for the first time in 26 years. The squad during this period featured many future Hong Kong internationals including Yau Kin Wai, Chung Ho Yin, Yeung Hei Chi, Yeung Ching Kwong, Dale Tempest, as well as former England international Mark Barham. Kitchee spent three seasons in the top flight before they were relegated along with Kui Tan at the end of the 1994–95 season.
During the 1998–99 season, Kitchee won promotion back to the First Division as well as the Hong Kong Junior Shield. The following year, the squad were led by a backbone of young local players such as Lee Wai Lun, Man Pei Tak and Ng Wai Chiu.
However, these were soon poached by bigger clubs and due to inadequate replacements, the performance of the team suffered and Kitchee were once again relegated at the conclusion of the 2000–01 season.
Ahead of the 2002–03 season, former Hong Kong national team manager Chan Hung Ping was hired as Kitchee's manager. He led the team to the Second Division title in his one and only season as manager.
A new golden age
Following their return to the First Division in 2003, Kitchee became one of the most prominent teams in Hong Kong, winning three trophies in two seasons under coach Dejan Antonic: two in 2005–06 and one in 2006–07 season.
The club secured 2nd place in the league, along with league champions South China who had already qualified for the AFC Cup as the Hong Kong Senior Shield winners. As a result, Kitchee became one of two Hong Kong representatives in the 2008 AFC Cup.
Since 2009, the club has been a partner of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in its Injury Prevention and Performance Enhancement (IPPE) program.[7]
Kitchee were invited to take part in the 2010 Singapore Cup,[8] becoming the first Hong Kong team to take part in the tournament. The club lost to Etoile FC 4–6 over two legs in the quarter final.
In the 2010–11 season, under coach Josep Gombau, Kitchee won its first league title in 47 years by one point over arch rival South China,[9] allowing the club to compete in both the 2011 Barclays Asia Trophy, where they lost 0–4 to Chelsea and 0–3 to Blackburn Rovers, and in the 2012 AFC Cup.[10]
Between 2011 and 2014, Kitchee players combined to win the Footballer of the Year award for four straight years. The recipients of this award were Roberto Losada in 2011, Lo Kwan Yee in 2012, Huang Yang in 2013 and Fernando Recio in 2014.
In 2012, Kitchee Foundation submitted a successful proposal to The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for a youth football training centre. The club received over HK$44 million from the trust for the establishment of a training ground at Shek Mun, Shatin, New Territories. The Jockey Club Kitchee Centre, as it was later called, opened in 2014. The trust provided 90% of the funding, with the rest coming in part from the proceeds of a Kitchee vs Arsenal exhibition match where they drew 2–2.[11] Apart from serving as the training ground of Kitchee first team and Kitchee Academy, the centre also provides facilities for the Education Bureau-approved Professional Footballer Preparatory Programme, which Kitchee jointly offers with Yan Chai Hospital Tung Chi Ying Memorial Secondary School, in order to integrate football training into regular school curriculum and schedule.
In October 2012, Arsenal donated HK$780,000 to Kitchee Foundation in support of the youth training centre.[12] The club won the 2013–14 First Division title. The following season, Kitchee won the inaugural Hong Kong Premier League, the 2014–15 HKFA Cup and the 2014–15 League Cup, completing the treble for the second time.[13]
In 2016–17, Kitchee completed a treble for the third time, capturing the Senior Shield, the Hong Kong FA Cup and the Hong Kong Premier League title.[14] The club promoted long time assistant coach Chu Chi Kwong to head coach role and Director of Football. Brazilian attacking midfielder Fernando won the 2017 Footballer of the Year award while striker Sandro won the Golden Boot.[15]
During the 2017 AFC Champions League qualifiers, Kitchee won against Vietnam's Hanoi FC 3–2 but lost in the playoff rounds to Ulsan Hyundai in penalties.[16]
The following season, Kitchee directly qualified 2018 AFC Champions League group stage through their HKPL title. To prepare for the competition, the club signed former World Cup Golden Ball winner, Uruguayan footballer Diego Forlán.[17] The club managed to achieve a 1–0 win over Kashiwa Reysol at home, becoming the first team from Hong Kong to win a game in the history of the AFC Champions League group stage.[18] Domestically, Kitchee won the Premier League, FA Cup and the Sapling Cup, completing a treble for the second consecutive season and the fourth in club history.[19]
In 2021, the club signed former Montenegrin international Dejan Damjanović, who won the Golden Boot with 17 goals in his first season with the club.[20] The Bluewaves won the 2020–21 Hong Kong Premier League title on the final day of the season, beating rivals Eastern 2–0.[21] Kitchee followed up their domestic success by accumulating 11 points in their 2021 AFC Champions League, a record for a Hong Kong club in the competition.[22]
During the 2022 AFC Champions League, Kitchee made history by becoming the first Hong Kong club to advance to the round of 16.[23]
In 2022–23 season, Kitchee completed a treble again by winning the Senior Shield, the Hong Kong FA Cup and the Hong Kong Premier League title.[24]
Current squad
First team
- As of 15 October 2024 [25]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Remarks:
LP These players are considered as local players in Hong Kong domestic football competitions.
FP These players are registered as foreign players.
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club management
Basic information
| Item | Name |
|---|---|
| Training Ground |  Jockey Club Kitchee Centre |
| Youth Training System and Football Academy | Kitchee Academy |
| Youth Football Training Academy | Kitchee Soccer Academy powered by  DV7 Soccer Academy |
| Kitchee Soccer Academy Honors | The Asian Football Confederation AFC Elite Youth Scheme certified as The first Hong Kong “Two-Star Elite Youth Academy" |
| Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Sports Medicine Clinic@Kitchee | The Asian Football Confederation AFC Medical Centre/Clinic of Excellence |
| Football Players Diets and Nutritional Restaurant | The Kitchee Bistro |
| Systematic Football & Physical Training Program for Young Players | Kitchee Top Talent Elite Project for "Hong Kong 2034" |
| Official Fans Club | The Blue Wave |
| Official Mascot | Kit Jai (A Little Blue Bird) |
| Official Club Song | We Are Kitchee! |
| Home Stadium for Hong Kong Premier League | Mong Kok Stadium |
| Youth Football Training System Consultant |  Double Pass Company |
Coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach |  Edgar Cardoso |
| Assistant Coach | Stefano Sousa |
| Fernando Recio | |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Guo Jianqiao |
| Strength and Conditioning Lead Coach | Wesley Wong |
| Technical Analyst | Aaron Sek |
| Men U22 Youth Team Coach | Fernando Recio |
| Men U18 Youth Team Coach | Poon Man Chun |
| Men U16 Youth Team Coach | Chu Chi Kwong |
| Men U14 Youth Team Coach | Gao Wen |
| Women Team Head Coach | Chu Chi Kwong |
| Women U18 Youth Team Coach | |
| Women U15 Youth Team Coach | Cheung Wai Ki |
| Kitchee Academy Director | Chu Chi Kwong |
| Kitchee Academy Coach | Gao Wen |
| Professional Footballer Preparatory Programme Coach | Chu Chi Kwong |
| Club Consultant Doctor | Dr. Yung Shu Hang / Samuel Ling |
| Club Consultant Dietitian | Sylvia Lam |
Club personnel
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Ken Ng |
| General Manager | Wilson Ng |
| Licensing and Public Relations Manager | Ng Yee Yun |
| Director of Marketing | Lo Shuk Ting |
| Director of Football | Chu Chi Kwong |
| Director of Youth Training Development | |
| Technical Director of Football Academy | Jordi Tarrés |
| Customer Service Manager | Cheng Ching Yu |
Notable head coaches
| Years | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002–2003 | Chan Hung Ping |
|
| 2003–2005 | Cheng Siu Chung, Lam Hing Lun |
Co-coaching and both coaches have played in part of the matches as players |
| 2005–2007 |  Dejan Antonić |
|
| 2007–2008 2016 2020–2021 |
Chu Chi Kwong |
Caretaker |
| 2008–2009 |  Julio César Moreno |
|
| 2009 | Cheng Siu Chung |
Caretaker |
| 2009–2013 | Josep Gombau |
|
| 2013 | Àlex Gómez |
|
| 2013–2014 | Chu Chi Kwong, Cheng Siu Chung |
Caretaker |
| 2014–2015 | José Francisco Molina |
|
| 2015–2016 | Abraham García |
|
| 2016–2019 2022–2023 |
Chu Chi Kwong |
|
| 2019–2020 |  Blaž Slišković |
|
| 2021–2022 2023–2024 |
 Kim Dong-jin |
Interim Head Coach |
| 2024–Present | Edgar Cardoso |
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
Honours
Domestic league
Other domestic league
- Hong Kong Reserve League
- Champions (2): 1962–63, 2022–23
Domestic cup competitions
Other domestic cup competitions
Notable seasons
| Season | League | League Position | Senior Shield | FA Cup | League Cup | Season Play-offs | Community Cup | Asia Tournament | Top scorer(s) and Goals |
Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938– 1939 |
Third Division | — | Did not enter | Not held |
Not held |
Not held |
Not held |
Not held |
— | — | Promoted | |
| 1946– 1947 |
Second Division | — | — | — | Promoted | |||||||
| 1947– 1948 |
First Division | Champion | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1949– 1950 |
First Division | Champion | Champion | — | — | Double Champions | ||||||
| 1950– 1951 |
Second Division | Champion | Did not enter | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1951– 1952 |
Second Division | — | Junior Shield Champion | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1953– 1954 |
First Division | — | Champion | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1959– 1960 |
First Division | — | Champion | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1963– 1964 |
First Division | Champion | Champion | — | — | Double Champions | ||||||
| 1964– 1965 |
First Division | — | — | — | — | Relegated | ||||||
| 1971– 1972 |
First Division | — | Did not enter | — | — | Relegated | ||||||
| 1990– 1991 |
Third Division | — | Did not enter | — | — | — | Promoted | |||||
| 1991– 1992 |
Second Division | Champion | — | — | Promoted | |||||||
| 1993– 1994 |
First Division | — | — | — | Relegated | |||||||
| 1995– 1996 |
Second Division | — | Did not enter | — | — | Relegated | ||||||
| 1997– 1998 |
Third Division | Champion | — | — | Promoted | |||||||
| 1998– 1999 |
Second Division | — | Junior Shield Champion | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1999– 2000 |
First Division | 8th | — | — | — | Relegated | ||||||
| 2002– 2003 |
Second Division | Champion | Did not enter | — | — | — | Promoted | |||||
| 2003– 2004 |
First Division | Runners-up | Second round | Runners-up | Group stage | — | — | — | ||||
| 2004– 2005 |
3rd | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Group stage | — | — | — | |||||
| 2005– 2006 |
4th | Champion | 1st round | Champion |  Keith Gumbs | 15 | Double Champions | |||||
| 2006– 2007 |
Runners-up | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Champion | Keith Gumbs | 13 | — | |||||
| 2007– 2008 |
6th | Runners-up | Quarter-finals | Runners-up | 2008 AFC Cup | Group stage |  Goran Stankovski | 12 | — | |||
| 2008– 2009 |
Runners-up | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Did not enter |  Paul Ngue | 14 | — | ||||
| 2009– 2010 |
3rd | Runners-up | 1st round | Not held |
Champion |  Baruc Nsue | 7 | — | ||||
| 2010– 2011 |
Champion | Quarter-finals | 1st round | Semi-finals | Not held |
2010 Singapore Cup | Quarter-finals | Jordi Tarrés | 15 | Double Champions | ||
| 2011– 2012 |
Champion | 1st round | Champion | Champion | 2012 AFC Cup | Round of 16 | Roberto Losada | 13 | Treble Champions | |||
| 2012– 2013 |
Runners-up | Quarter-finals | Champion | Not held |
Champion | 2013 AFC Cup | Quarter-finals | Jordi Tarrés | 18 | Double Champions | ||
| 2013– 2014 |
Champion | 1st round | Runners-up | Did not enter | 2014 AFC Cup | Semi-finals | Juan Belencoso | 22 | — | |||
Premier League era
| Season | Premier League | Senior Shield | FA Cup | League Cup | Sapling Cup | Season Play-offs | Community Cup | Asia Tournament | Top scorer(s) and Goals |
Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014– 2015 |
Champion | Runners-up | Champion | Champion | Not held |
Did not enter | Runners-up | 2015 AFC Champions League | Pre. round 2
Quarter-finals |
Juan Belencoso | 34 | Treble Champions |
| 2015– 2016 |
Runners-up | Semi-finals | Quarter-finals | Champion | Group stage | Champion | Runners-up | 2016 AFC Champions League | Pre. round 2
Round of 16 |
Rufino Segovia | 17 | Double Champions |
| 2016– 2017 |
Champion | Champion | Champion | Defunct | 1st round | Did not enter | Runners-up | 2017 AFC Champions League | Play-off round | Sandro |
25 | Treble Champions |
| 2017– 2018 |
Champion | Semi-finals | Champion | Champion | Defunct | Champion | 2018 AFC Champions League Group stage |
 Lucas Silva Sandro |
16 | Quadruple Champions | ||
| 2018– 2019 |
4th | Champion | Champion | Group Stage |
Champion | 2019 AFC Cup East Asia Zone Group stage |
Fernando Lucas Silva |
17 | Treble Champions | |||
| Season | Premier League | Senior Shield | FA Cup | Sapling Cup | HKPLC Cup | Asia Tournament | Top scorer(s) and Goals |
Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019– 2020 |
Champion | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Champion | Not held |
Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Wellingsson |
14 | Double Champions |
| 2020– 2021 |
Champion | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | Semi-finals | 2021 AFC Champions League Group stage |
 Dejan Damjanović |
21 | — | ||
| 2021– 2022 |
Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | 2022 AFC Champions League East Asia Quarter-finals |
15 | — | |||||
| 2022– 2023 |
Champion | Champion | Champion | Group stage |
Not held |
25 | Treble Champions | ||
| 2023– 2024 |
4th | Champion | Semi-finals | Runners-up | Champion | 2023–24 AFC Champions League Group stage |
Mikael |
26 | Double Champions |
| 2024– 2025 |
Semi-finals | Did not enter | |||||||
Tournament performance records
AFC competitions
All results list Kitchee's goal tally first.
| Win | Draw | Loss |
Asia Football Clubs Ranking
Friendlies and invitational tournaments
All results list Kitchee's goal tally first.
| Win | Draw | Loss |
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | First leg | Second leg | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Friendly |  AC Milan |
2–1 | |||
| 2004 | Friendly |  Newcastle United |
1–1 (6–7 penalties) | |||
| 2005 | Hong Kong–Shanghai Cup | Friendly |  Shanghai Shenhua |
0–1 | ||
| 2005 | Friendly | Juventus |
2–2 (5–3 penalties) | |||
| 2010 | Lunar New Year Cup | Friendly | Pohang Steelers |
1–1 | ||
| 2010 | Friendly | Villarreal B |
1–2 | |||
| 2010 | Friendly | Barcelona B |
3-3 | |||
| 2010 | Friendly | Espanyol B |
0-5 | |||
| 2010 | Friendly | CF Amposta |
1–1 | |||
| 2010 | Singapore Cup | Preliminary Round | Beijing Guoan Talent |
2–1 (aet) | ||
| Quarter-finals |  Etoile FC |
4–4 | 0–2 | 4–6 | ||
| 2010 | Canon Cup | Friendly | Villarreal |
0-3 | ||
| 2011 | Premier League Asia Trophy | Semi-finals | Chelsea |
0–4 | ||
| Third-place playoff | Blackburn Rovers |
0–3 | ||||
| 2012 | Hong Kong–Shanghai Inter Club Championship | Friendly | Shanghai Tellace |
0–4 | 2–3 | 2–7 |
| 2012 | The HKJC Charity Trust Challenge Cup | Friendly | Arsenal |
2-2 | ||
| 2012 | Friendly | Gimnàstic de Tarragona |
0-1 | |||
| 2012 | Friendly | Villarreal B |
2-0 | |||
| 2013 | Friendly | Manchester United |
2-5 | |||
| 2014 | Hong Kong–Shanghai Inter Club Championship | Friendly | Shanghai SIPG |
1–6 | 0–0 | 1–6 |
| 2014 | Meeting Of CHAMPIONS | Friendly | Paris Saint-Germain |
2-6 | ||
| 2017 | Lunar New Year Cup | Semi-finals |  Muangthong United |
1–1 (5–4 penalties) | ||
| Final |  Auckland City |
0–1 | ||||
| 2017 | Jockey Club Kitchee Centre Challenge Cup | Friendly | Tottenham Hotspur |
1-4 | ||
| 2019 | HKJC Kitchee Centre Cup | Friendly | Manchester City |
1-6 | ||
| 2024 | BOC Life Cup | Friendly | Atlético Madrid |
1-6 | ||
Club culture and supporters
Established in 2011, the Blue Wave is the official fans club organised by Kitchee to offer fans with special perks and offers.
Originally a fans-organised cheering group, the Blue Wave became the club's official fans club in 2011, while retaining the name Blue Wave after the reorganisation.
Since its formation, the Blue Wave has become an identity shared by all Kitchee fans as they come to the stadium every match day, cheering and supporting the players on the field.
All-time player records
Most appearances
As of 26 May 2024; active players still with the club in bold.
| No. | Name | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wang Zhenpeng | 363 | 0 |
| 2 | Huang Yang | 317 | 5 |
| 3 | Lo Kwan Yee | 278 | 22 |
| 4 | Lam Ka Wai | 254 | 34 |
| 5 | Dani Cancela | 252 | 6 |
| 6 | Liu Quankun | 206 | 9 |
| 7 | Hélio | 205 | 8 |
| 8 | Jordi Tarrés | 189 | 92 |
| 9 | Fernando | 184 | 50 |
| 10 | Fernando Recio | 183 | 7 |
Most goals
As of 26 May 2024; active players still with the club in bold.
| No. | Name | Goals | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordi Tarrés | 92 | 189 |
| 2 | Dejan Damjanović | 61 | 61 |
| 3 | Juan Belencoso | 58 | 70 |
| 4 | Sandro | 51 | 77 |
| 5 | Alex Akande | 50 | 143 |
| Fernando | 50 | 184 | |
| 7 | Keith Gumbs | 37 | 56 |
| 8 | Lucas Silva | 34 | 46 |
| Chan Siu Ki | 106 | ||
| Lam Ka Wai | 254 |
Retired numbers
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Footnotes
- Upon its formation in 2014, Hong Kong Premier League became the top tier of Hong Kong football; the First and Second Divisions then became the second and third tiers, respectively.
References
External links
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