Reigning Premier League champion Kitchee kicks-off

Last season’s treble-winner Kitchee will kick-off the new premier league season on Friday night by facing old nemesis Eastern Long Lions at home. Match venue for the crunching battle will be Mongkok Stadium and the tilt is scheduled to go underway at 8:00pm. Supporters are called upon to show up in droves to support the Blues heading into the new campaign. Kitchee sensationally took home the Premier League, Senior Shield and FA Cup crowns last season and will head into the new campaign just as ambitious. The Blues has retained most of its playing staff from last season and has recalled the likes of Paulinho, Christian Annan and Fernando Recio back to the fold. At the same time, Kitchee has also signed former Wofoo Tai Po striker Lucas Da Silva to bolster the front-line, giving the Blues a more dangerous and balanced lineup. Head coach Alex Chu voices his satisfaction on the team’s progress in the preseason and feels his side is ready to take on Eastern Long Lions in the premier league season-opener. “After all these years of facing Eastern Long Lions, I now have quite a good understanding on their side,” Chu expressed. “Despite having gone through a coaching change, I do not expect their playing style to differ much from what has been in the past. We will keep a keen eye on what the opponent might do on game-time, then react accordingly.” Skipper Lo Kwan-yee acknowledges Kitchee’s form has greatly benefitted from the high-intensity preseason training and is confident the Blues can put on a solid performance in the season-opener. “It is a brand new start to the season and the treble-winning accomplishment is all in the past,” Lo stated. “We have kept most of the squad intact and therefore we should have a better chemistry as a result. New teammate Lucas Da Silva is exactly what Kitchee needs and I think his arrival can give us more flexibility up-front.”