Captain Helio Goncalves called for a failing and demoralised Kitchee squad to “find strength from nowhere” to help the club “rise again”.
For the second successive year, the 12-times league champions have imploded in the closing months of the season. And, like predecessor Kim Dong-jin last season, Edgar Cardoso, the head coach, has paid for the slump with his job.
Veteran defender Goncalves accepted, nonetheless, that those on the field had to share responsibility for a wretched campaign.
“It’s not only about the coach, we’re the ones on the pitch,” he said. “The fans are right to be angry, we understand their frustration. But when we are at the bottom, struggling … and down and sad, we need their support. It’s easy to support in the good moments.”
Those good moments have been few and far between since Kitchee completed a treble in 2022-23. Last season, they won only the Senior Shield. Under Cardoso this term, Kitchee have been eliminated from all three cup competitions before the final. A convincing title challenge never materialised, and recent home losses to Kowloon City and North District left them completely out of contention.
