Dutch footballer in Hong Kong laments city’s ‘bad’ league – but wants to stay
Mitchel Paulissen close to clinching second successive title despite taking time to adjust to slow tempo and the pitches and weather
Lee Man midfielder Mitchel Paulissen has indicated he wants to extend his stint in Hong Kong – despite saying the local Premier League serves up slow football, poor players and substandard pitches.
The Dutchman is closing in on his second league title in as many seasons with Lee Man and was overcome with emotion last Sunday after a 101st-minute winner at Kowloon City kept them on course to retain their crown.
But he said the city had yet to see the best of him since he arrived two summers ago, having spent his career up to then in the Netherlands’ top two divisions.
“I’ve not reached anywhere close to my level here,” the 32-year-old said. “A lot of things make it hard: the pitches, the weather, the teams you play against – you cannot call it football.
“But I hope I can win a second league title. I’ve played almost every game, which shows I’ve made a good contribution to the team.
“For 15 years, I played with a structure, with a passing game. Here, it is totally different; you need to survive on your own. But I survived.”