‘We want to be a Hong Kong club’: China’s Guangzhou R&F hope to win over local fans
Team official says they want to help in the development of soccer in the city and eventually provide players for the Hong Kong senior squad
Guangzhou R&F are determined to establish themselves as a genuine “Hong Kong” team rather than merely a feeder side for their Chinese parent club, a leading official said.
In a long run, our target is to become a club with roots in Hong Kong and produce players for the Hong Kong national team
Vice-president Hwang Shenghua said he hoped local fans would embrace the China Super League club when they make their debut in the new Hong Kong Premier League season.
Guangzhou R&F will field a mixture of China and Hong Kong players as they become the 11th team in the league after gaining approval from the Hong Kong Football Association in July.
“In a long run, our target is to become a club with roots in Hong Kong and produce players for the Hong Kong national team,” said Hwang Shenghua at a press conference on Sunday.
“In fact, our parent company, R&F Properties, is a listed company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. We hope the Hong Kong soccer community can accept a club from China so that we can work together for the betterment of the sport for both areas.
“We have all the required infrastructure for a professional club – facilities, coaching and technical support and our involvement in the Hong Kong league will certainly create a win-win situation.”
Guangzhou R&F are playing in the China Super League and are currently sixth out of 16 teams. They also appeared in the 2015 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs.