Maybe the HKPL season can just go into Autumn and end in November. That would allow the 2021 season to begin in March 2021, achieving HKFA's stated aim of shifting the league season to March till November early.
https://www.sportsroad.hk/archives/298159 The spouse of one of Kitchee's coaches has tested positive. She arrived back in Hong Kong after travelling to the UAE, Ukraine and the UK on the 18th although she did not begin feeling symptoms until the 25th. As a result, all Kitchee players will be tested and their results will be known by Wednesday. If even one player tests positive, that may be it for the season.
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/體育/art...85617407824/【新冠肺炎】疑被配偶傳染-傑志助教初步確診成港球壇首例-全隊今檢測 Ming Pao reports that it is Chino's (Roberto Losada) wife that was infected and Chino is also tested positive in the initial test. He will be tested again. osada) wife that was infected and Chino is also tested positive in the initial test. He will be tested again. All Kitchee players and staff will now have to be tested. HKJC Kitchee Centre will be closed for disinfection.
Kitchee had tested 70 members in which 12 of its members (six players and six staff members) are tested negative for the Covid-19 so far. They will keep updating its status on the remaining members according to Kitchee's website.
https://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/sport/2...Qv2aiEPL7dJ28QVy9-y-7f9qiAJt5JLCWaDvPMFDWqUvo There's going to be an internal meeting of the clubs today (Thursday) to deliberate whether they want to want to terminate the season or not. It's expected that a decision will be made on the 7th when all clubs meet with the HKFA. Philip Lee says that he's ok with the FA Cup Final decided behind closed doors at the FTC. He's also fine with playing one more round of league matches there too and then deciding the Asian competition spots from there. Rangers have sent some of their foreigners home, seeing as that's where they want to be at this time. The club have been quite compassionate - they've helped those foreign players buy plane tickets and will also pay out the rest of their contracts in full. If they have to play any more league matches, according to Lee, the club will just play some more local players.
https://www.sportsroad.hk/archives/298879 Eight of ten clubs want to terminate the season. Happy Valley and R&F are still thinking about it. The top five will play a single round robing to determine the league champion for this season next year in January or February. They will also play the three cup finals during that time. Steven Lo says he's in favour of starting next season in the third week of February which would allow the HKFA to switch to a calendar year season and allow clubs more time to find sponsors. If they go ahead with this and the AFC/FIFA decide not to cancel matches during the three remaining international windows then we're screwed.
I doubt that HKFA will agree to cancel for that long. I think by October we should very likely be able to play again. I think a complete stop from April to end of September, a full six months, should be enough, at least for now. HKFA will probably agrees to starting next season in Feb 2021, but not to playing no matches again this year. As adrenaline11 said we need to consider the scenario where AFC begins to schedule international matches (whether club or country) from October onwards. If the clubs and players are all on hiatus then that would be disastrous.
The HKFA have suspended the HKPL until further notice, meanwhile, TKO Football Training Centre is also closed.
Pui Kwan Kay is saying that the HKFA's preference is to postpone all matches until September/October because not playing for a half year is too difficult on players' livelihoods. He agrees with the clubs on starting next season in early 2021.
https://www.hk01.com/即時體育/455370/港足專題-青訓路向2-談香港足球風格-華麗進攻或穩守突擊 Part 2 of an interview with Technical Director Thor Arnasson. Of interest is the last paragraph: Blooding in new players is well and good but then why were players like Giovane, Roberto and Dani still used as starters? Their time should be up.
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/體育/article/20200407/s00006/1586256169425/【港超】羅傑承稱飛馬已收咧-傑志轟足總無限期停賽損各方利益 So it begins. Steven Lo says that Pegasus will "definitely not participate" if the league returns in September. Meanwhile, all of their foreigners and some of their local players like Chan Wai-ho have chosen to terminate their contracts rather than take a pay cut. Those who remain will see their salaries cut by 30-50%.
http://paper.wenweipo.com/2020/04/14/SP2004140001.htm HKFA is now making a questionnaire and wants the clubs to tell them whether they want to continue or not. If they say they want to withdraw from this season, then all their results from this season will be cancelled but they can retain their place in the 2020-21 season. Both HK Pegasus and Rangers have announced that they will not take further part this season. Yuen Long FC have yet to decide.
Former Hong Kong U-23 international Remi Dujardin who was without a club since leaving FC Jumila last year, joins Finnish club HIFK.
At least this dirty secret is out in the open now: local players fear retribution if they speak up about not being paid on time.
News from HKFA: "Further to the feedback of premier league clubs and considering the latest situation, 2019-20 BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League will be resumed not earlier than mid-August, with an aim to finish by early November this year and no relegation system will be applied. Details of the fixture arrangement will be further announced in due course. Meanwhile, the remaining matches including Reserve League, 1st Division, 2nd Division, 3rd Division, Jockey Club Women’s League, Jockey Club Youth League, Jockey Club Futsal League and Jockey Club Girls' League will be cancelled In addition, 2020-21 BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League will begin from late November and to be completed by end of June 2021." Source from the HKFA website.
https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kon...-out-10-hong-kong-premier-league-teams-may-be Coronavirus: only six out of 10 Hong Kong Premier League teams may be left to complete the season Pegasus have announced they would not continue, saying it would be meaningless because they have no cup final nor league title to play for while Best Union Yuen Long and BC Rangers may follow suit. Wofoo Tai Po and Happy Valley have yet to decide. SCMP suggests these five clubs may not take part this season again. I think Happy Valley will continue but I have no source, it is a pure guess.
The article was published before Happy Valley published a statement on their Facebook page confirming their participation.
Over the past few days, Southern have been terminating their foreigners. Gabi Mendez, Travis Major, Ticao and Dhiego have all agreed to early terminations. Chan Man Chun has announced that Kwoon Chung Bus will continue its sponsorship but the club's budget will be reduced. https://hk.appledaily.com/sports/20200419/M4ZK675MPZNYLX3ZNDIWO4LROQ/ https://www.hk01.com/即時體育/463579/港超聯-南區削開支三外援提早解約-中場狄卡奧回鄉或掛靴
Dalian Pro are looking to loan out of favour striker Alex Akande who is not in Rafa Benitez's plans with some CSL One clubs taken an interest despite the transfer window being closed. At the same time, Hong Kong defender Andy Russell who had only featured six times for Hebei is looking for a loan move to a CSL One club has also stalled due to the transfer window being closed. In addition to Tomas Maronesi, Kitchee's Wellingson de Souza has also confirmed that he will apply for naturalisation in August.
Akande and Russell should never have gone up to CSL. It was clear that while they could find rhythm and success in CLO, they were way off from the CSL standard. Only Tan Chun Lok really has what it takes at the CSL level.