Hong Kong footballer Philip Chan wants coach Jorn Andersen to stay, laments city’s lack of plan if he leaves
- National team midfielder says city needs visionaries focused on sustained success, after Andersen admitted to weighing up his future as coach
- ‘The board has not considered how they want the sport to look in five years,’ Chan says. ‘A good coach comes, stays a short period, then leaves a vacuum’
Philip Chan Siu-kwan fears an absence of “visionaries” in Hong Kong football would lead to the city appointing a quick-fix head coach if incumbent Jorn Andersen were to move on.
Andersen told the Post this month he was mulling over his future after 26 months in charge. Midfielder Chan, a beacon for the Norwegian’s hard-running, courageous Hong Kong national team, has won 19 of his 21 caps during Andersen’s reign.
“If Jorn gets a good offer and wants to challenge himself, I am happy to see him at a place where he has more freedom to do that,” Chan said. “I feel there are a lot of restrictions on him.
“He helped me a lot, and I am very grateful for his impact on our football. But it leads to the question of who would take his place. There are not enough visionaries in Hong Kong football. The board have not considered how they want the sport to look in five years.
“With the Hong Kong team, a good coach comes, stays a short period, then leaves a vacuum. If they want sustained improvement, not just bursts, they have to plan for beyond the next one or two years. The FA should decide on a specific direction, and that includes a clear path from grass roots to the senior team.”