AFC Cup: Rivals’ watch – Kitchee Sports Club

Sportskeeda profiles Hong outfit Kitchee Sports Club ahead of their AFC Cup Group H encounter against Pune FC on Wednesday.

History

Formed in 1931, Kitchee Sports Club have been one of the most successful Hong Kong clubs in recent years. Although they won their first two league titles in the late 1940s’, Kitchee had gone four decades without a Hong Kong First Division crown after their third success in 1964. They were also out of the top flight for some years but returned in 2003 and then the club revived their glory days by winning back-to-back Hong Kong League Cup titles in 2006 and 2007. After finishing runners-up in the league in 2006-07 and 2008-09, their long wait for a league title finally ended under Spanish coach Josep Gombau, who previously worked with the Barcelona youth side, in 2010-11. Kitchee retained the trophy in 2011-12 but failed to complete a hattrick in 2012-13, when they finished second behind South China but qualified for the 2014 AFC Cup by winning the Hong Kong season playoffs.

Kitchee SC are one of the best-run clubs in Hong Kong with excellent facilities and the club management have also spent heavily in getting quality foreigners from around the world. As a result Kitchee’s performances in the AFC Cup have been impressive in the last two editions while they also seem to give European opposition tough fights in the various pre-season friendlies that they have played in the last decade. 2014 will be their third straight appearance in the AFC Cup and fourth overall. They have reached the knockouts in the last two editions including a run to last year’s quarter-finals where they were narrowly beaten by Jordan’s Al Faisaly. Kitchee have defeated Italian giants AC Milan and Juventus in the past and in the last two years have hosted Arsenal and Manchester United in summer pre-season friendly matches.

Current Team

Kitchee defeated Churchill Brothers home and away in last year’s AFC Cup

Kitchee parted ways with Gombau at the end of last season after four successful years and was replaced by another Spaniard Alex Gomez. As a result the big Spanish influence in the side remained both in terms of playing style and personnel and hence they are still often called ‘Hong Kong’s Barca’. With the Hong Kong domestic league allowing as many as seven foreigners in the squad, three new Spanish players were added besides retaining central defender Fernando Recio and attacker Jordi Tarres. Of the three new Spaniards, only striker Juan Belencoso has been named in the AFC Cup squad with Fernando, Tarres and South Korean centre-back Jang Kyung-Jin being the other three foreigners. Despite a strong start in the league, Gomez was removed as head coach only after four moments in charge with the club reportedly unhappy with his management style.

Director of football, Chu Chi-kwong and assistant coach Ricky Cheng Siu-chung were appointed as the new caretaker coaches in November and Kitchee are unbeaten in ten matches under the duo. They have won nine of those fixtures including a thumping 5-0 victory away at Singapore’s Tampines Rovers in matchday one of the AFC Cup. The five-time Hong Kong champions look well placed to regain the league crown this season as they are 12 points clear of second-placed South China and still unbeaten with 13 wins from 15 matches. They have an impressive goals tally of 45 and the squad also comprises a good group of local players with six of them currently in the Hong Kong national team. Kitchee comprehensively defeated Churchill Brothers both home and away in last year’s AFC Cup and will be red-hot favourites to not only ease past Pune FC this time but also top the group.

Key Players

Fernando Recio

The Barcelona-born 31-year-old has been at the club since 2010 and is a key figure in their central defence. Fernando’s battle with Pune’s newly-signed Australian striker Mirjan Pavlovic will be vital and the Spaniard’s experience does give him an edge.

Jordi Tarres

The former Espanyol youth product was the second highest scorer in last year’s AFC Cup with 12 and he bagged a brace in the win over Tampines Rovers this season. Tarres’ creativity and goal-scoring ability has made him indispensable to Kitchee.

Juan Belencoso

The 32-year-old centre-forward has already made an explosive start in Hong Kong football with 16 goals in 14 league appearances. Belencoso also scored on his AFC Cup debut against Tampines Rovers and now would be aiming to make a big impact against Pune.