On July 14th Kitchee announced the highly anticipated signing for the vacant head coach position: 41-year-old Abraham García, who earned his spurs as a youth coach in Spain. After managing the Atletico Madrid B-team between 2007 and 2009, he was in charge of Montañeros CF and CD Toledo in the Spanish Segunda Division B. In 2014 he moved to Ningxia, where he coached the China League 2 team Yinchuan Helanshan.
Following Molina’s treble success, expectations for García are relatively high and he will face a difficult debut: On August 26th Kitchee play their first game against Al Kuwait in the AFC Cup quarter final.
With Xu Deshuai (Eastern SC), Cheung Kin Fung (South China) and Tsang Chi Hau (Eastern SC), three valuable players have left the current champion at the end of last season. In return Kitchee signed two Brazilian players—left-winger Fernando (YFCMD) and striker Sandro (Wong Tai Sin)—as well as Li Ngai Hoi (South China), Tong Kin Man (Sun Pegasus) and Sham Kwok Keung (Sun Pegasus).
