Kitchee SC facts for kids
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| Full name | Kitchee Sports Club | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Hong Kong Barça (香港巴塞) The Bluewaves The Bluebirds (藍鳥) |
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| Founded | 1931 | ||
| President | Ken Ng | ||
| Head coach | Iñigo Calderón | ||
| League | Hong Kong Premier League | ||
| 2024–25 | Hong Kong Premier League, 4th of 9 | ||
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Kitchee Sports Club (Chinese: 傑志體育會; Jyutping: Git6zi3 Tai2juk6wui2) is a professional football club from Hong Kong. They are based in Kowloon and play in the Hong Kong Premier League. The club started in 1931.
Kitchee is one of Hong Kong's most successful football teams. They have won the league title 12 times! This includes 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. Kitchee was the first Hong Kong club to win a game in the AFC Champions League group stage. They also made it to the Round of 16 in that competition.
Contents
Club History
How Kitchee Started
In the late 1920s, some people in Hong Kong formed a football team. They wanted to play in the Hong Kong Third Division League. But it wasn't until 1931 that the team officially became Kitchee Sports Club.
When Kitchee first started, it was a small, local group. They didn't have much money to run a big sports club. In 1934, they finally raised enough money to rent an office. This office was at 130 Johnston Road in Wan Chai. After that, they were allowed to join the Hong Kong Football Association.
During World War II
In 1939, bombs hit Hong Kong during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Sadly, many of the club's old records were destroyed.
When the Pacific War began, Hong Kong was taken over by the Japanese on December 25, 1941. Because of this, Kitchee's football activities stopped for three years and eight months.
After the war ended in August 1945, former Kitchee members came back. They helped restart football in Hong Kong. They also helped create new football groups, like the Chinese Football Association of Hong Kong.
After the War to 1964
After the war, Kitchee joined the 1947–48 Hong Kong First Division League. They won the league title that season, which was their first big trophy! Between 1947 and 1964, the club won three First Division titles. They also won one Second Division title and four Senior Shields.
During this time, Kitchee found two amazing Hong Kong football players: Yiu Cheuk Yin and Lam Sheung Yee. Yiu helped the club win its first two First Division titles. He became known as the "Treasure of Hong Kong Football." Lam played for Kitchee for 14 years. He was part of every Kitchee team that won a trophy between 1948 and 1964.
From 1964 to 2003
In the 1965–66 season, Kitchee had a tough time. They only won one game and finished near the bottom. This meant they were moved down to a lower league after 17 years in the top division. The next season, they even dropped to the Third Division.
In the late 1980s, Law Ding Chun became the new chairman of Kitchee. He made many changes to make the club better. He even bought insurance for all the players. This helped the players feel safer if they got hurt. His changes worked, and Kitchee soon moved back up to the Second Division.
In 1991–92, Kitchee won the Second Division title. They returned to the top league after 26 years! Many future Hong Kong national players were on this team. These included Yau Kin Wai and Dale Tempest. Kitchee played in the top league for three seasons. Then, they were moved down again at the end of the 1994–95 season.
In the 1998–99 season, Kitchee moved back up to the First Division. The next year, young local players like Lee Wai Lun and Ng Wai Chiu led the team. But these players were soon taken by bigger clubs. Without good replacements, the team struggled. Kitchee was moved down again after the 2000–01 season.
Before the 2002–03 season, Chan Hung Ping became Kitchee's manager. He used to manage the Hong Kong national football team. He led Kitchee to win the Second Division title in his only season as manager.
A New Golden Age
After returning to the First Division in 2003, Kitchee became one of Hong Kong's best teams. They won three trophies in two seasons under coach Dejan Antonic. They finished second in the league in 2006–07. This allowed them to play in the 2008 AFC Cup, a big Asian competition.
Since 2009, Kitchee has worked with the Chinese University of Hong Kong. They have a program to help prevent injuries and improve player performance.
Kitchee was the first Hong Kong team to play in the 2010 Singapore Cup. They lost in the quarter-finals to Étoile.
In the 2010–11 season, under coach Josep Gombau, Kitchee won its first league title in 47 years! They beat their rival South China by just one point. This win allowed them to play in the 2011 Premier League Asia Trophy. They also played in the 2012 AFC Cup.
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Between 2011 and 2014, Kitchee players won the Footballer of the Year award four years in a row. These players were Roberto Losada, Lo Kwan Yee, Huang Yang, and Fernando Recio.
In 2012, Kitchee Foundation got a lot of money (over HK$44 million) from The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. This money was for a new youth football training center. The Jockey Club Kitchee Centre opened in 2014 in Shek Mun, Shatin. Most of the money came from the trust. Some also came from a special match between Kitchee and Arsenal, which ended in a 2–2 draw. This center is used for Kitchee's first team and their youth academy. It also helps young players combine football training with their school studies.
In October 2012, Arsenal also gave HK$780,000 to Kitchee Foundation to support the youth training center.
Kitchee won the First Division title in 2013–14. The next season, they won the first-ever Hong Kong Premier League. They also won the HKFA Cup and the League Cup. This meant they won three major trophies in one season for the second time!
In 2016–17, Kitchee won three trophies again for the third time. They won the Senior Shield, the Hong Kong FA Cup, and the Hong Kong Premier League title. Fernando won the Footballer of the Year award. Striker Sandro was the top scorer.
During the 2017 AFC Champions League qualifiers, Kitchee beat Vietnam's Hanoi 3–2. But they lost to Ulsan Hyundai in a penalty shootout.
The next season, Kitchee went straight into the 2018 AFC Champions League group stage. To get ready, they signed Diego Forlán, a famous player from Uruguay. Kitchee won 1–0 against Kashiwa Reysol at home. This was the first time a Hong Kong team won a game in the AFC Champions League group stage! At home, Kitchee won the Premier League, FA Cup, and the Sapling Cup. This was their fourth time winning three trophies in one season.
In 2021, the club signed Dejan Damjanović, a player from Montenegro. He was the top scorer with 17 goals. The Bluewaves won the 2020–21 Hong Kong Premier League title on the last day. They beat rivals Eastern 2–0. Kitchee also set a record for a Hong Kong club in the 2021 AFC Champions League, earning 11 points.
In the 2022 AFC Champions League, Kitchee made history again. They became the first Hong Kong club to reach the Round of 16.
In the 2022–23 season, Kitchee won three trophies again. They won the Senior Shield, the Hong Kong FA Cup, and the Hong Kong Premier League title.
During the 2023–24 season, the club changed many players. They hired Edgar Cardoso from Portugal as their new head coach. They also signed new players like Jay Haddow and Fynn Talley. However, the club did not win any trophies that season. After a big loss to Lee Man, the club announced that Edgar Cardoso would leave at the end of the 2024–25 season.
On July 4, 2025, Kitchee announced their new manager. It was Iñigo Calderón, a former defender from Brighton & Hove Albion. He will start for the 2025–26 season.
Stadium
Since 2013, Mong Kok Stadium has been Kitchee's main home ground. It can hold 6,664 fans. Before that, Kitchee used Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground from 2010 to 2012. Kitchee often plays its AFC Champions League home games at the Hong Kong Stadium. This is because it meets the special rules for that tournament.
Current Squad
First Team Players
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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.
Club Management
Coaching Staff
| Position | Name |
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| Head Coach |  Iñigo Calderón |
| Assistant Coach |  Fernando Recio |
| Poon Man Chun |
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| Goalkeeping Coach | Guo Jianqiao |
| Strength and Conditioning Coach | Kobe Kou |
| Technical Analyst | Dani Cancela |
| Men U22 Youth Team Coach | Poon Man Chun |
| 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 Coach | Gao Wen |
| 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 |
| Technical Director of Football Academy | Jordi Tarrés |
| Customer Service Manager | Cheng Ching Yu |
Basic Information
| Item | Name |
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| 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 | Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground |
| Youth Football Training System Consultant |  Double Pass Company |
Former Managers
| Years | Name | Notes |
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| 2002–2003 | Chan Hung Ping |
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| 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 |
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| 2007–2008 2016 2020–2021 |
Chu Chi Kwong |
Caretaker |
| 2008–2009 |  Julio César Moreno |
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| 2009 | Cheng Siu Chung |
Caretaker |
| 2009–2013 | Josep Gombau |
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| 2013 | Àlex Gómez |
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| 2013–2014 | Chu Chi Kwong, Cheng Siu Chung |
Caretaker |
| 2014–2015 | José Francisco Molina |
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| 2015–2016 | Abraham García |
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| 2016–2019 2022–2023 |
Chu Chi Kwong |
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| 2019–2020 |  Blaž Slišković |
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| 2021–2022 2023–2024 |
 Kim Dong-jin |
Interim Head Coach |
| 2024–2025 |  Edgar Cardoso |
Club Honours (Trophies)
Domestic League Titles
- Hong Kong Premier League and Hong Kong First Division (Tier 1)
- Champions (12 times): 1947–48, 1949–50, 1963–64, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2022–23
- Runners-up (8 times): 1952–53, 1954–55, 1956–57, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2012–13, 2015–16
- Hong Kong Second Division (Tier 2)
- Champions (3 times): 1950–51, 1991–92, 2002–03
- Hong Kong Third Division (Tier 3)
- Champions (1 time): 1997–98
Other Domestic League Titles
- Hong Kong Reserve League
- Champions (2 times): 1962–63, 2022–23
Domestic Cup Competitions
- Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield
- Champions (9 times): 1949–50, 1953–54, 1959–60, 1963–64, 2005–06, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2022–23, 2023–24
- Runners-up (6 times): 1948–49, 1951–52, 1955–56, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2014–15
- Hong Kong FA Cup
- Champions (7 times): 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022–23
- Runners-up (2 times): 2003–04, 2013–14
- Hong Kong Sapling Cup
- Champions (2 times): 2017–18, 2019–20
- Runners-up (1 time): 2023–24
- Hong Kong League Cup
- Champions (5 times): 2005–06, 2006–07, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Runners-up (1 time): 2007–08
- Hong Kong Premier League Committee Cup
- Champions (1 time): 2023–24
- Hong Kong Junior Challenge Shield
- Champions (2 times): 1951–52, 1998–99
- Hong Kong Community Cup and Hong Kong Community Shield
- Champions (3 times): 2009, 2017, 2018
- Runners-up (3 times): 2014, 2015, 2016
Other Domestic Cup Competitions
- The HKFC International Soccer Sevens Main Tournament
- Champions (1 time): 2011
- The Lunar New Year Cup
- Runners-up (2 times): 2010, 2017
Club Culture and Supporters
The Blue Wave is Kitchee's official fans club. It started in 2011. This club gives special benefits and offers to fans.
The Blue Wave began as a cheering group created by fans themselves. When it became the official club, they kept the name. Now, the Blue Wave is a symbol for all Kitchee fans. They come to every match to cheer for their team.
Retired Numbers
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See also
In Spanish: Kitchee SC para niños
