The 2019–20 Hong Kong Premier League (also known as the BOC Life Hong Kong Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the 6th season of the Hong Kong Premier League, the top division of Hong Kong football.
Kitchee became the champions for the fourth time. Igor Sartori and Serges Déblé were the joint top goalscorers with 6 goals. Tai Po and Yuen Long self-relegated to the Hong Kong First Division.
Effects of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic Due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Hong Kong, the HKFA announced on 16 April 2020 that all the HKPL matches after 18 March 2020 will be postponed and the 2019–20 season will be resumed not earlier than mid-August, with an aim to finish by early November this year. No relegation will occur this year.
On 30 April 2020, HKFA announced Rangers, Yuen Long and Pegasus announced their withdrawal from the remaining matches this season. Their eligibility for the HKPL next season will remain secure, and the league standing will be adjusted according to the Article D.8 of Competition Regulations: “If any Participating Club ceases to participate in the Competition during the course of the season, the record of the matches of the Competition in which its playing team has participated shall be expunged from the league table”.
On 29 May 2020, Tai Po announced that they, too, would drop out from the restart of the season. This means that there were only 6 teams left in the remaining of the season.
On 17 September 2020, HKFA announced that the season will resume on 19 September 2020 and end on 11 October 2020.
Teams A total of 10 teams contest the league, including eight sides from the 2018–19 Hong Kong Premier League and two promoted from the 2018–19 Hong Kong First Division, replacing relegated Dreams FC and Hoi King. On 11 July 2019, Dreams FC decided to self-relegate to the Hong Kong First Division due to lack of funds. The Hong Kong Football Association held an emergency board meeting on the 15th, during which the board voted to allow Dreams FC to relegate into the First Division and invite Rangers into the HKPL.
ClubFoundedPositionLast Season Tai Po 2002 1st R&F 2016 2nd Southern 2002 3rd Kitchee 1931 4th Eastern 1932 5th Pegasus 2008 6thYuen Long 1958 7th Lee Man 2017 9thHappy Valley 1950 1st in First DivisionRangers 1958 3rd in First Division Pink denotes a newly promoted club entering the league this year.
Stadia and locations
Primary venues used in the Hong Kong Premier League:
Southern &Kitchee Tai Po Lee Man Mong Kok Stadium Tai Po Sports Ground Sham Shui Po Sports Ground Capacity: 6,769 Capacity: 3,200 Capacity: 2,194 R&F Happy Valley Yuen Long Yanzigang Stadium Hammer Hill Road Sports Ground Yuen Long Stadium Capacity: 1,000 Capacity: 2,200 Capacity: 5,000 Eastern Pegasus Rangers Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground Hong Kong Stadium Tuen Mun Tang Shiu Kin Sports Ground Capacity: 3,500 Capacity: 40,000 Capacity: 2,200
Personnel and kits Team President Head coach Captain Kit Manufacturer Kit sponsorEasternLam Kin Ming Lee Chi Kin Leung Chun PongAdidasTopeastHappy ValleyChen Zhishi Pau Ka Yiu Mahir KarićAdidasWorld Electronic Sports GamesKitcheeKen Ng Chu Chi Kwong Huang YangNikeedps, Lippo GroupPegasusSteven Lo Man Pei Tak Chan Siu KiAdidasRedMR CosmosLee ManNorman Lee Chan Hiu Ming Fernando RecioAdidasLee & Man ChemicalRangersPeter Mok Chiu Chung Man Wong Chin Hung Lai Ka Fai TomasKelmeBjorn Hendal SwedenSouthernMatthew Wong Zesh Rehman Tse Tak HimMacronIsuzuTai PoGary Choy Davor Berber DuduNikeLippo LimitedYuen LongWilson Wong Kwok Kar Lok Fábio LopesKelmePanaShop R&F Huang Shenghua Yeung Ching Kwong RobertoUcanR&F Properties
Managerial changes
TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentYuen Long Kwok Kar Lok End of Contract 30 May 2019Pre-season Chan Man Chun 3 August 2019Tai Po Lee Chi Kin Mutual Consent 26 June 2019 Kwok Kar Lok Fung Hoi Man 29 July 2019Kitchee Chu Chi KwongChange of Role3 July 2019 Blaž Slišković3 July 2019Pegasus Chan Ho YinEnd of Contract16 July 2019 Man Pei Tak16 July 2019Eastern Andrejs Štolcers Change of Role 17 July 2019 Lee Chi Kin17 July 2019Tai Po Kwok Kar Lok Resigned 6 November 2019 6thTai Po Fung Hoi Man Change of Role 16 January 2020 6th Davor Berber 16 January 2020Yuen Long Chan Man Chun Change of Role 1 February 2020 9th Kwok Kar Lok 1 February 2020Southern Cheng Siu Chung Mutual Consent 16 March 2020 3rd Pui Ho Wang Cristiano Cordeiro 16 March 2020Kitchee Blaž SliškovićChange of Role23 March 2020 3rd Chu Chi Kwong23 March 2020Yuen Long Kwok Kar LokMutual Consent2 May 2020 9thSouthern Pui Ho Wang Cristiano Cordeiro End of Caretaker Roles 16 May 2020 3rd Zesh Rehman 16 May 2020
Foreign players The number of foreign players is restricted to seven (including one Asian player and one Chinese player) per team, with no more than four on pitch during matches.
Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 Player 4 Player 5 Asian Player Chinese Player Former/Unregistered PlayersEastern Everton João Emir Eduardo Praes Lucas Silva Chen Hao-wei Fernando Jean MoserHappy Valley Luciano Mahir Karić Mikael Igor Miović Marko Rajković Edu Cruz Manuel GavilánKitchee Cleiton Tomas Wellingsson Nikola Komazec Park Jun-heong Manuel Gavilán Fernando Paulo César Lucas Silva Krisztián Vadócz Manuel BledaLee Man Jonathan Acosta Gil Michaël N'dri Bruno Pinheiro Serhiy Shapoval Diogo RangelSouthern Stefan Pereira Kota Kawase Shu Sasaki Zesh Rehman Gabriel Méndez Travis Major Dhiego Martins Ticão Pedro Mendes Nikola Komazec R&F Dudu Igor Sartori Adama Guira Serges Déblé Daniel Angulo Zhou Yuchen Tiago Leonço Emmerson Chen Zirong Fu Yunlong Ji XiangzhengPegasus Gabriel Méndez Michael Glassock Charles Lokolingoy Juninho David Lazari Jean Moser Mahama Awal Shu Sasaki Marcos Gondra Jorge OrtíTai Po Benjamin Van Meurs Paulo César Dudu Michel Lugo Željko Kuzmić Kim Min-ki Kim Seung-yongYuen Long Juninho Katê Kessi Mikael Maicon Santana Wang RueiRangers Leandro Bazán Diego Cañete Tomas Stefan Pereira Ji Xiangzheng Pablo Leguizamón
League table
Head to head
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.
Fixtures and results
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
Resume Round 1 (Origin Round 13)
Resume Round 2 (Origin Round 11 & 14)
Resume Round 3 (Origin Round 15)
Resume Round 4 (Origin Round 16 & 17)
Resume Round 5 (Origin Round 12 & 18)
Notes
Season statistics
Top scorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Serges DébléR&F122 Michaël N'driLee Man103 Igor SartoriR&F94 Travis MajorSouthern8 WellingssonKitchee6 Sandro Tai Po/Eastern7 GiovaneR&F8 Leandro BazánRangers6 Manuel GavilánHappy Valley / Kitchee10 Nikola KomazecSouthern / Kitchee5
Hat-tricks Note: The results column shows the scorer's team score first. Teams in bold are home teams. # Player Nationality For Against Result Date Ref1Michaël N'driLee ManPegasus 4–2 2Serges Déblé 4R&FYuen Long 8–0 3Serges DébléR&FLee Man 5–1 4Serges DébléR&FHappy Valley 5–2 5WellingssonKitcheeHappy Valley 4–0 6Leong Ka HangLee ManSouthern 4–0 Note 4 The player scored 4 goals.
Clean sheets Rank Player Club Match(es)1 Zhou Yuchen R&F62 Yapp Hung Fai Eastern5 3 Wang Zhenpeng Kitchee 4 Yuen Ho Chun Lee Man 5 To Chun Kiu Happy Valley 2 6 Yip Ka Yu Yuen Long 1 Tse Tak Him Southern
Attendances
Awards
Monthly Most Valuable Player MonthMost Valuable PlayerReferences Player ClubAugust & September Michaël N'driLee ManOctober Serges DébléR&FNovember GiovaneR&FDecember Ngan Lok FungLee ManJanuary WellingssonKitcheeFebruary Sun Ming HimTai PoMarch SandroEasternSeptember & October Shinichi ChanKitchee
Hong Kong Top Footballer Awards This year's Hong Kong Top Footballer Awards was cancelled due to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Hong Kong.
References