Kitchee SC facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kitchee

Full name	Kitchee Sports Club
Nickname(s)	Hong Kong Barça (香港巴塞) The Bluewaves The Bluebirds (藍鳥)
Founded	1931; 94 years ago (1931)
Ground	Mong Kok Stadium
Ground Capacity	6,664
President	Ken Ng
Head coach	Edgar Cardoso
League	Hong Kong Premier League
2023–24	Premier League, 4th of 11
Home colours Away colours

Kitchee Sports Club is a professional football team from Hong Kong. They are based in Kowloon and were started in 1931. Today, they play in the top league, the Hong Kong Premier League.

Kitchee is one of Hong Kong's most successful football clubs. They have won 12 league titles. This includes six Hong Kong First Division titles and six Hong Kong Premier League titles. They have also won nine Senior Shields and seven Hong Kong FA Cups. Kitchee made history as the first Hong Kong club to win a game in the AFC Champions League group stage. They were also the first to reach the Round of 16 in that competition.

Club History: How Kitchee Started

Early Days and Formation

Kitchee's first office at 130 Johnston Road, Wan Chai.

In the late 1920s, a group of people in Hong Kong loved football. They decided to form a team to play in the Hong Kong Third Division League. It wasn't until 1931 that this team officially became Kitchee Sports Club.

Kitchee began as a small, local group. They didn't have much money for things like offices or sports facilities. But by 1934, they raised enough funds to rent an office. This office was at 130 Johnston Road in Wan Chai. After getting their own office, they were finally allowed to join the Hong Kong Football Association.

Challenges During World War II

In 1939, Hong Kong was hit by bombs during the Second Sino-Japanese War. Sadly, many of the club's important records were destroyed in these bombings.

When the Pacific War began, Hong Kong was taken over by the Japanese on 25 December 1941. Because of this, Kitchee's football activities had to stop for three years and eight months. This was during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong.

After the Japanese left Hong Kong in August 1945, former Kitchee members came back. They worked hard to bring back sports in Hong Kong. They helped restart the Chinese Amateur Athletic Federation and create new football groups.

Success After the War (1947–1964)

Kitchee team in Macau before a charity match in 1959.

After the war, Kitchee joined the 1947–48 Hong Kong First Division League. They won the league title that season! This was their first big trophy. Between 1947 and 1964, Kitchee won three First Division titles. They also won one Second Division title. Plus, they won four Senior Shields and one Junior Shield.

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.

Ups and Downs (1964–2003)

In the 1965–66 season, Kitchee had a tough time. They won only 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, a new chairman named Law Ding Chun joined Kitchee. He made many changes to modernize the club. For example, he bought insurance for all the players. This helped players feel safer if they got injured. His changes worked! 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! The team had many future Hong Kong national players. These included Yau Kin Wai, Chung Ho Yin, and Dale Tempest. They played in the top league for three seasons. Then, they were moved down again at the end of the 1994–95 season.

In 1998–99, Kitchee got promoted back to the First Division. They also won the Junior Shield. The next year, the team had many talented young local players. But these players were soon taken by bigger clubs. Without good replacements, Kitchee's performance suffered. They were 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 the team to win the Second Division title in his only season as manager.

A New Golden Era (2003–Present)

After returning to the First Division in 2003, Kitchee became one of Hong Kong's top 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.

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 invited to play in the 2010 Singapore Cup. They were the first Hong Kong team to join this tournament. They lost in the quarter-finals.

In the 2010–11 season, under coach Josep Gombau, Kitchee won their first league title in 47 years! They beat their rivals South China by just one point. This win allowed them to play in the 2011 Barclays Asia Trophy. They also played in the 2012 AFC Cup.

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 big donation from The Hong Kong Jockey Club. They received over HK$44 million to build a youth football training center. This center, called The Jockey Club Kitchee Centre, opened in 2014. It's used for training the first team and the Kitchee Academy. It also helps young players combine football training with their school studies. In October 2012, Arsenal also donated HK$780,000 to support the youth training center.

Kitchee won the 2013–14 First Division title. 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.

In the 2017 AFC Champions League qualifiers, Kitchee beat Vietnam's Hanoi FC. But they lost in the next round to Ulsan Hyundai in a penalty shootout.

The next season, Kitchee directly qualified for the 2018 AFC Champions League group stage. To get ready, they signed Uruguayan footballer Diego Forlán, who had won the World Cup Golden Ball. Kitchee made history by beating Kashiwa Reysol 1–0 at home. This was the first time a Hong Kong team won a game in the AFC Champions League group stage. In Hong Kong, 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. He was the top scorer with 17 goals in his first season. Kitchee won the 2020–21 Hong Kong Premier League title on the last day. They beat rivals Eastern 2–0. Kitchee then set a record for a Hong Kong club in the 2021 AFC Champions League, earning 11 points.

During 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 once more. They won the Senior Shield, the Hong Kong FA Cup, and the Hong Kong Premier League title.

Meet the Team: Current Squad

First Team Players

No. Position Player 1 GK Wang Zhenpeng 2 DF Law Tsz Chun (vice-captain) 3 DF Leon Jones 4 DF Matheus Dantas FP 5 DF Hélio (captain) 6 DF Jay Haddow FP 7 MF Ruslan Mingazow FP 8 MF Cheng Chin Lung 9 FW Welthon FP 10 FW Luís Machado FP 11 MF Jordan Lam 12 DF Bae Jae-woo FP 13 GK Enikar Mehmud FP 14 MF Poon Pui Hin 16 MF Tan Chun Lok (vice-captain) 17 MF Fernando (vice-captain)

No. Position Player 18 MF Chen Ngo Hin 20 MF Aarón Rey FP 21 FW Seb Buddle 22 DF Diego Bardanca FP 23 GK Tuscany Shek 24 MF Ngan Cheuk Pan 25 GK Fynn Talley FP 27 FW Sherzod Temirov FP 29 FW Kim Shin-wook FP 30 FW Juninho 31 FW Matthew Slattery 33 MF Yeung Cheuk Kwan 34 DF Kam Chi Kin 38 MF Chan Yuen Ho 39 FW Chen Tao FP

Remarks:
^LP These players are considered as local players in Hong Kong domestic football competitions.
^FP These players are registered as foreign players.

Players on Loan

No. Position Player 26 MF Sohgo Ichikawa (on loan at Southern) 32 MF Yuen Chun Him (on loan at CF Amposta U19) DF Yim Kai Cheuk (on loan at Kowloon City)

Club Leadership and Coaches

Basic Club Information

Item	Details
Training Ground	Jockey Club Kitchee Centre
Youth Training System	Kitchee Academy
Youth Football Training Academy	Kitchee Soccer Academy powered by DV7 Soccer Academy
Academy Recognition	The Asian Football Confederation AFC Elite Youth Scheme certified as The first Hong Kong “Two-Star Elite Youth Academy"
Sports Medicine Clinic	The Asian Football Confederation AFC Medical Centre/Clinic of Excellence
Players' Restaurant	The Kitchee Bistro
Youth Development Program	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	Mong Kok Stadium
Youth Training 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

Kitchee's Trophies and Awards

Domestic League Titles

• Hong Kong Premier League and Hong Kong First Division (Tier 1)
  • Champions (12): 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): 1952–53, 1954–55, 1956–57, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2012–13, 2015–16
• Hong Kong Second Division (Tier 2)
  • Champions (3): 1950–51, 1991–92, 2002–03
• Hong Kong Third Division (Tier 3)
  • Champions (1): 1997–98

Other Domestic League Wins

• Hong Kong Reserve League
  • Champions (2): 1962–63, 2022–23

Domestic Cup Wins

• Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield
  • Champions (9): 1949–50, 1953–54, 1959–60, 1963–64, 2005–06, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2022–23, 2023–24
  • Runners-up (6): 1948–49, 1951–52, 1955–56, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2014–15
• Hong Kong FA Cup
  • Champions (7): 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022–23
  • Runners-up (2): 2003–04, 2013–14
• Hong Kong Sapling Cup
  • Champions (2): 2017–18, 2019–20
  • Runners-up (1): 2023–24
• Hong Kong League Cup
  • Champions (5): 2005–06, 2006–07, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16
  • Runners-up (1): 2007–08
• Hong Kong Premier League Committee Cup
  • Champions (1): 2023–24
• Hong Kong Junior Challenge Shield
  • Champions (2): 1951–52, 1998–99
• Hong Kong Community Cup and Hong Kong Community Shield
  • Champions (3): 2009, 2017, 2018
  • Runners-up (3): 2014, 2015, 2016

Other Domestic Cup Wins

• The HKFC International Soccer Sevens Main Tournament
  • Champions (1): 2011
• The Lunar New Year Cup
  • Runners-up (2): 2010, 2017

Kitchee in Asia: AFC Competitions

Kitchee has played in several Asian football tournaments. Here's how they've done:

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2008	AFC Cup	Group E	Perak	2–2	1–2	3rd
			New Radiant	2–0	1–2
			Singapore Armed Forces	0–2	0–4
2012	AFC Cup	Group F	Tampines Rovers	3–1	0–0	1st
			Terengganu	2–2	2–0
			Sông Lam Nghệ An	2–0	0–1
		Round of 16	Arema	0–2
2013	AFC Cup	Group E	Churchill Brothers	3–0	4–0	2nd
			Warriors	5–0	4–2
			Semen Padang	1–2	1–3
		Round of 16	Kelantan	2–0
		Quarter-finals	Al-Faisaly	1–2	1–2	2–4
2014	AFC Cup	Group H	Tampines Rovers	4–0	5–0	1st
			Nay Pyi Taw	2–0	2–1
			Pune	2–2	2–0
		Round of 16	Arema Cronus	2–0
		Quarter-finals	Vissai Ninh Bình	0–1	4–2	4–3
		Semi-finals	Erbil	1–2	1–1	2–3
2015	AFC Champions League	Preliminary Round 2	Chonburi	1–4
2015	AFC Cup	Group F	Balestier Khalsa	3–0	2–1	2nd
			East Bengal	2–2	1–1
			Johor Darul Ta'zim	2–0	0–2
		Round of 16	Persib Bandung	2–0
		Quarter-finals	Al-Kuwait	1–1	0–6	1–7
2016	AFC Champions League	Preliminary Round 2	Hanoi FC	0–1
2016	AFC Cup	Group F	Kaya FC	1–0	1–0	1st
			New Radiant	0–0	2–0
			Balestier Khalsa	4–0	0–1
		Round of 16	Bengaluru FC	2–3
2017	AFC Champions League	Preliminary Round 2	Hanoi FC	3–2 (aet)
		Play-off Round	Ulsan Hyundai	1–1 (3–4 p)
2018	AFC Champions League	Group E	Kashiwa Reysol	1–0	0–1	4th
			Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	0–6	0–3
			Tianjin Quanjin	0–1	0–3
2019	AFC Champions League	Preliminary Round 2	Perak	1–1 (5–6 p)
2019	AFC Cup	East Asia Zone Group I	April 25	1–0	0–2	2nd
			Hang Yuen	3–0	2–1
			Tai Po	2–4	3–3
2020	AFC Cup	East Asia Zone Group I	Tatung FC	Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
			MUST CPK
			/ Winners of Play-off East Asia
2021	AFC Champions League	Group J	Guangzhou FC	1–0	1–0	2nd
			Port FC	2–0	1–1
			Cerezo Osaka	0–0	1–2
2022	AFC Champions League	Group J	Chiangrai United	1–0	3–2	2nd
			Vissel Kobe	2–2	1–2
		Round of 16	BG Pathum United	0–4
2023–24	AFC Champions League	Group F	Lion City Sailors	1–2	2–0	4th
			Bangkok United	1–2	1–1
			Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	1–2	1–2

Club Culture and Supporters

The Blue Wave is Kitchee's official fans club. It started in 2011. Before that, it was a cheering group organized by fans themselves. When it became official, it kept the name Blue Wave. This name is now a big part of Kitchee's identity. Fans proudly call themselves the Blue Wave. They come to every match day to cheer for their team.

Notable Coaches in Kitchee's History

Years	Name	Notes
2002–2003	Chan Hung Ping
2003–2005	Cheng Siu Chung, Lam Hing Lun	Co-coaching, both also played in some matches
2005–2007	Dejan Antonić
2007–2008 2016 2020–2021	Chu Chi Kwong	Caretaker coach
2008–2009	Julio César Moreno
2009	Cheng Siu Chung	Caretaker coach
2009–2013	Josep Gombau
2013	Àlex Gómez
2013–2014	Chu Chi Kwong, Cheng Siu Chung	Caretaker coaches
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

All-Time Player Records

Most Appearances

As of May 26, 2024. Players still with the club are in bold.

Most Goals Scored

As of May 26, 2024. Players still with the club are in bold.

Retired Jersey Numbers

No. Position Player 19 MF Huang Yang

Asia Football Clubs Ranking

See also

In Spanish: Kitchee SC para niños