Coach Mixu Paatelainen in dark over future as Hong Kong prepare for World Cup qualifiers against Iran and Iraq
- The Finn’s two-year contract is due to expire in March but the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign will not be completed until June
- FA chairman wants to extend the manager’s contract to cover the qualifying matches but says the matter must be discussed at board level
Hong Kong manager Mixu Paatelainen said he knew nothing about his future with the senior squad with his contract expiring before the revamped 2022 World Cup Asian zone qualifiers are due to restart.
The Finn’s two-year deal with the Hong Kong Football Association will end in March, the same month Hong Kong are set to travel to Iran for their away qualifier before returning home to face Iraq – according to an updated schedule. Hong Kong’s final group C match is not until June when they return to the Middle East to face Bahrain.
“Unfortunately, there is no news about my contract situation as there has been no discussion about it,” said Paatelainen, who replaced Englishman Gary White in April 2019.
Hong Kong are fourth in the group with five points from five games, six behind leaders Iraq and still in with a slim chance of finishing in the top two and advancing to the next round.
Football Association chairman Pui Kwan-kay said they hoped to sort out the manager’s contract soon, even if it involved a short-term solution.
