East Asian Football Championships: is Chan recall sign China are running scared of Hong Kong?
Shinichi Chan returns to club Shanghai Shenhua ahead of Tuesday’s game, but teammates have not yet been recalled from China squad
Hong Kong football bosses have moved to defuse a controversy that had threatened to blow up ahead of the city team’s clash with China on Tuesday.
With Ashley Westwood’s side seeking a first win over their neighbours since 1985, rumours had surfaced that several players contracted to mainland clubs could be recalled after the team’s loss to South Korea on Friday.
While clubs are not obligated to release players for the East Asian Football Championship because it falls outside a Fifa window, suspicions were heightened when China manager Dejan Djurdjevic refused to confirm if any of his players were being sent back.
Faced with the potential for some uncomfortable questions, the Football Association of Hong Kong China (HKFA) released a statement on Sunday that said only Shinichi Chan had left the camp in a “pre-arranged agreement between the coaching team … and the player’s club”.
Chan, who plays for Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua, is one of Hong Kong’s best players.
On Saturday, after his team’s 2-0 defeat by Japan, Djurdjevic had refused to discuss whether any of his players would be ordered back to their clubs, and initially said as China coach, “I concentrate on our players … that’s all”.