2020–21 Hong Kong Premier League Explained

Competition:Hong Kong Premier League
Season:2020–21
Num Season:7
Winners:Kitchee
Dates:14 November 2020 – 30 May 2021
Continentalcup1: League
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers:Kitchee
Continentalcup2:AFC Cup
Continentalcup2 Qualifiers:Eastern
League Topscorer:Dejan Damjanović
(17 goals)
Best Goalkeeper:Yapp Hung Fai (Eastern)
Biggest Home Win:Eastern 5–0 Resources Capital
(21 November 2020)
Happy Valley 7–2 Resources Capital
(22 May 2021)
Biggest Away Win:Resources Capital 0–6 Rangers
(16 May 2021)
Highest Scoring:Happy Valley 7–2 Resources Capital
(22 May 2021)
Matches:68
Total Goals:221
Longest Wins:7 matches
Kitchee
Longest Unbeaten:14 matches
Kitchee
Longest Losses:6 matches
Happy Valley
Longest Winless:8 matches
Southern
Highest Attendance:7,802

(23 May 2021)
Lowest Attendance:308

(5 May 2021)
Attendance:72,560
Average Attendance:1,067
Prevseason:2019–20
Nextseason:2021–22

The 2020–21 Hong Kong Premier League (also known as the BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League for sponsorship reasons) is the seventh season of the Hong Kong Premier League, the top division of Hong Kong football.

Effects of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic

Due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Football Association postponed the opening of the 2020–21 season.[1] Later, it was announced that the season would begin on 21 November 2020.[2] [3] The league was suspended again after two rounds being played due to the third wave of coronavirus pandemic in Hong Kong. On 12 February 2021, the Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department approved to resume football competitions in Hong Kong after February 20 behind closed doors. The Senior Shied and FA Cup were cancelled, while the ongoing Sapling Cup would continue.

Teams

A total of eight teams contest the league, including seven sides from the 2019–20 Hong Kong Premier League and one promoted from the 2019–20 Hong Kong First Division. Tai Po and Yuen Long decided to self-relegate to the Hong Kong First Division due to lack of funds. Meanwhile, R&F decided to withdraw from the league system.

ClubFoundedPosition
Last Season
Kitchee19311st
Eastern19322nd
Lee Man20174th
Southern20025th
Happy Valley19506th
Pegasus2008Withdrew
Rangers1958Withdrew
Resources Capital19821st in First Division
(before cancellation)

Stadia and locations

Primary venues used in the Hong Kong Premier League:

Kitchee
Eastern
Happy ValleyLee ManResources Capital
Mong Kok StadiumSham Shui Po Sports GroundTseung Kwan O Sports GroundTsing Yi Sports Ground
Capacity: 6,664Capacity: 2,194Capacity: 3,500Capacity: 1,500
RangersPegasusSouthern
Hammer Hill Road Sports GroundYuen Long StadiumAberdeen Sports Ground
Capacity: 2,200Capacity: 4,932Capacity: 4,000

Personnel and kits

TeamChairmanHead CoachCaptainKit ManufacturerMain sponsor
EasternLam Kin Ming Roberto Losada Leung Chun PongAdidasUpbest Group
Happy ValleyChen Zhishi Pau Ka Yiu LucianoAdidasMichi
KitcheeKen Ng Chu Chi Kwong Huang YangNikeEDPS Systems Ltd.
PegasusSteven Lo Kwok Kar Lok Leung Hing KitAdidasRedMR
Lee ManNorman Lee Chan Hiu Ming Fernando RecioAdidasLee & Man Chemical
RangersPeter Mok Chiu Chung Man
Wong Chin Hung
Lai Ka Fai
Lam Ka WaiKelme
Ucan
Hong Kong Amateur Football Association
SouthernMatthew Wong Zesh Rehman Shu Sasaki[4] MacronIsuzu
Resources CapitalHanson Wong Joan Esteva Lam Chun Kit
Law Ho Yin
Liu Yik Shing
Carles Tena[5]
Future Hong Kong Football Development Charity Limited

Managerial changes

TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment
Pegasus Man Pei TakChange of Role20 October 2020Pre-season Kwok Kar Lok20 October 2020
Eastern Lee Chi KinChange of Role28 May 20212nd Roberto Losada28 May 2021

Foreign players

The number of foreign players is restricted to six per team, with no more than five on the pitch during matches, the fifth player must be a marquee player.

According to the decision made by Hong Kong Football Association Board of Directors on 15 July 2020, the marquee player must fulfil one of the following criteria:

i) played for a club which is in a world's top professional league of one of the top 50 associations in the FIFA ranking published by FIFA on 11 June 2020 for at least 1 season or ii) fielded by his association in an international match, which his association is one of the top 50 associations in the FIFA ranking published by FIFA on 11 June 2020.

Marquee Player
ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4Player 5Player 6Former/Unregistered Players
Eastern Lucas Silva Everton Eduardo Praes João Emir Dudu Chen Hao-wei
Happy Valley Razaq Adegbite Luciano Mikael Charlie Scott Robert Odu
Kitchee Manuel Gavilán Raúl Baena Park Jun-heong Dejan Damjanović Cleiton Tomas Wellingsson
Lee Man Gil Jonathan Acosta Serhiy Shapoval José Ángel Kim Seung-yong Manolo Bleda Michaël N'dri
Southern Stefan Pereira Zesh Rehman Shu Sasaki Kota Kawase Matthew Cahill
Pedro Mendes
Pegasus Nilson Marquinhos Kessi Júnior Goiano Bernardo
Rangers Oleksii Shliakotin Juninho Fernando Lopes Augusto Neto Douglão
Resources Capital Albert Canal Felipe Sá Carles Tena Jordon Brown

League table

Results

Relegation Group

Positions by round

To preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included to the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. For example, if a match is scheduled for round 7, but then played between rounds 8 and 9, it will be added to the standings for round 8.

Relegation Group

Fixtures and results

Round 17

Season statistics

Top scorers

[6]

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Dejan DamjanovićKitchee17
2 James HaSouthern12
GilLee Man
4 SandroEastern11
5 Stefan PereiraSouthern9
6 MarquinhosPegasus7
7 Felipe SáResources Capital6
NilsonPegasus
9 Lucas SilvaEastern5
Robert OduHappy Valley
FernandoEastern
JuninhoRangers

Hat-tricks

Note: The results column shows the scorer's team score first. Teams in bold are home teams.

PlayerNationalityFor !Against Result Date Ref
1Stefan PereiraSouthernPegasus4–0 [7]
2MarquinhosPegasusLee Man3–1 [8]
3Dejan DamjanovićKitcheeHappy Valley3–1 [9]
4James HaSouthernResources Capital4–1 [10]
5Dejan DamjanovićKitcheeRangers3–1 [11]
6GilLee ManResources Capital4–0 [12]
7LucianoHappy ValleyResources Capital7–2 [13]
8GilLee ManPegasus5–1 [14]

Clean sheets

Rank Player Club Match(es)
1 Wang ZhenpengKitchee6
2 Yapp Hung FaiEastern5
3 Lam Chun KitResources Capital4
Yuen Ho ChunLee Man
Oleksii ShliakotinRangers
6 Leung Hing KitPegasus3
7 Tse Tak HimSouthern1
To Chun KiuHappy Valley
Felix LukPegasus
Tsang Man FaiEastern
Paulo CésarKitchee

Awards

Monthly Most Valuable Player

MonthMost Valuable PlayerReferences
width=150pxPlayerwidth=90px Club
October & November SandroEastern[15] [16]
February & March Dejan DamjanovićKitchee[17]
April Leung Hing KitPegasus[18]
May Dejan DamjanovićKitchee[19]
AwardsPrize WinnerClubVotes
Footballer of the Year Dejan DamjanovićKitchee77.34%
Women's Footballer of the Year Lau Yun YiTai Po (Women)9
Coach of the Year Chu Chi KwongKitchee35.76%
Young Players of the Year Sun Ming HimPegasus49.57%
Ho Chun TingKitchee42.26%
Players' Player Charlie ScottHappy Valley32
Most Favorite Player Dani CancelaKitchee2,367
Hong Kong Top Footballers
Goalkeeper Yapp Hung FaiEastern32.52%
Defenders Dani CancelaKitchee51.63%
Eduardo PraesEastern49.61%
Júnior GoianoPegasus36.65%
HélioKitchee26.45%
Midfielders MarquinhosPegasus53.92%
Ngan Lok FungLee Man43.40%
Charlie ScottHappy Valley31.80%
CleitonKitchee28.12%
Forwards Dejan DamjanovićKitchee77.34%
SandroEastern47.63%

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Announcement on 2019–20 and 2020–21 BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League. HKFA. 16 April 2020.
  2. https://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/sport/20201021/00286_003.html 菁英盃周六開鑼 晉峰先鬥冠忠南區
  3. https://www.hkfa.com/news_details2/18018 Fixture Release of 2020-21 BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League and Home Stadium for participating team
  4. Web site: 2020-10-22. 夏志明、佐佐木周分別成為球會及球隊隊長 (James Ha and Shu Sasaki became club captain and team captain, respectively). 2020-10-26. KC.Southern District Football Club Facebook page.
  5. News: 2020-10-23. 港超聯 晉峰擇吉拜神 鄭璟昊驚喜現身 (Hong Kong Premier League - Resources Capital held deity worshiping ceremony, Cheng King Ho appeared). on.cc. 2020-10-26.
  6. Web site: Hong Kong Football Association – Top Scorers . . 25 November 2021.
  7. Web site: Pegasus 0 Southern 4. 21 November 2020. Hong Kong Football Association.
  8. Web site: Lee Man 1 Pegasus 3. 11 April 2021. Hong Kong Football Association.
  9. Web site: Happy Valley 1 Kitchee 3. 16 April 2021. Hong Kong Football Association.
  10. Web site: Southern 4 Resources Capital 1. 5 May 2021. Hong Kong Football Association.
  11. Web site: Kitchee 3 Rangers 1. 7 May 2021. Hong Kong Football Association.
  12. Web site: Lee Man 4 Resources Capital 0. 9 May 2021. Hong Kong Football Association.
  13. Web site: Happy Valley 7 Resources Capital 2. 22 May 2021. Hong Kong Football Association.
  14. Web site: Pegasus 1 Lee Man 5. 23 May 2021. Hong Kong Football Association.
  15. Web site: BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League Monthly MVP Award 2020–2021 . HKFA . 29 December 2020.
  16. Web site: Eastern Long Lions striker Alessandro Leonardo claims BOC Life HKPL MVP honor October and November . HKFA . 29 December 2020.
  17. Web site: Kitchee striker Dejan Damjanovic earns BOC Life HKPL MVP (February and March 2021) award . HKFA . 28 April 2021.
  18. Web site: Tin Shui Wai Pegasus goalkeeper Leung Hing-kit named BOC Life HKPL MVP (April 2021) . HKFA . 7 June 2021.
  19. Web site: Kitchee striker Dejan Damjanovic earns BOC Life HKPL MVP (May 2021) award . HKFA . 29 September 2021.