The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) announced in a statement on Sunday that only one player will leave the squad and return to his China Super League club before Hong Kong representatives face the China national team in the EAFF E-1 Football Championship.
This came after rumors surrounding the possible recall of multiple Hong Kong team representatives by their China Super League clubs, aimed at preventing their participation in the forthcoming match.
HKFA stated that only Shinichi Chan will leave the squad and return to Shanghai Shenhua before the match, emphasizing the arrangement is a "planned decision."
It added that the coordination was made at the stage of the call-ups for the E-1 Football Championship match, which meant that the team's preparation work would not be affected.
In addition, the statement highlighted that the coaching staff of the Hong Kong team has reached an agreement with Chan's club prior to the match.
The agreement took into consideration the overall welfare and physical condition of the player, thereby mitigating the risk of overexertion in intensive matches.
According to FIFA, the E-1 Football Championship is not classified as an international tournament. Consequently, clubs are not mandated to release players for participation during non-international periods. Therefore, participation is subject to coordination between the clubs and the representative teams.
The HKFA reaffirmed it will maintain close communication with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the Hong Kong representatives are optimally prepared for favorable performance outcomes.
(Nathan Leung)
