Darkest day for Hong Kong football as ‘Shaolin Temple’ South China withdraw from Premier League
The best-supported club in the city say they will play in the First Division and focus on youth development
Hong Kong soccer suffered one its darkest days ever on Monday as heavyweights and traditional powerhouses South China announced that they are withdrawing from the Premier League.
The best-supported and most successful club in Hong Kong history said in a statement that they would compete in the First Division in the new season to focus on junior development, which they say has been lacking in local soccer over the years.
“It has always been the target of South China to develop potential players but so far we haven’t seen this happen to help the sport in Hong Kong,” the statement said. “Since last season, we have started a 10-year programme to nurture youth players and the decision [to play in the First Division] is also in line with this aim.
“Hopefully we can build up a strong foundation for future development so that we can one day come back to the Premier League stronger.”
South China have been a stalwart of Hong Kong’s elite division for decades, even when they haven’t been successful. Their decision to pull out of the Premier League is one of the biggest setbacks in Hong Kong football’s recent history.
