Eastern boss hopes to coach Hong Kong – after stint in mainland China, Japan or Korea
After creating Eastern’s talent production line and winning silverware, coach Roberto Losada is ready to test himself outside the city
The reigning two-time Hong Kong coach of the year, Roberto Losada, has revealed he is keen for a fresh opportunity abroad.
The Eastern boss, whose team beat Lee Man in Thursday’s Senior Shield final for his second trophy in four years at the helm, also underlined his ambition to coach Hong Kong. The Spaniard opted against applying for the post when it became vacant last year because he was “not ready and needed to learn more about international football”.
Eastern have lost three players to the mainland this winter, while a money-spinning offer lured defender Tamirlan Kozubaev back to Persita Tangerang in Indonesia.
Losada conceded he could not stand in 30-year-old Kozubaev’s way, because “[Persita] offered him three or four times more money and football is a short career”.
In the cases of Ng Yu-hei, Jesse Yu Joy-yin and Anson Wong Ho-chun, Losada, who would advocate Eastern joining China League One (CL1), encouraged the star young trio to make the mainland leap to advance their careers, despite his team sitting second in the local Premier League.