Hongkongers warned they must adopt elite mindset or European clubs will overlook them

Kitchee forward Luis Machado has told young Hong Kong players to develop an elite mentality, or risk being consistently overlooked by European clubs. Machado played more than 100 matches in his native Portuguese Primeira Liga, and had three seasons in Poland’s top flight, before joining Kitchee last summer. The son of former Benfica and Portugal international midfielder Antonio Machado, he said some of his much younger colleagues “have quality … but they need to show they want to play and be professional”. “Some of them ask me if they could play in Portugal or Spain – I say it’s possible, but only if they work every day … it’s all about mentality,” Machado told the Post. “It’s different [from when I was a young player]. My father told me I had to respect the experienced guys, because they could show us how football worked. “If you don’t start with the right mentality in the academy, it’s difficult to change when you reach 23 or 24. It’s the job of the experienced players to help the younger ones, to show them options and solutions for their positions. “But they need the capacity to understand and they need to listen. Sometimes, they ignore what we say.” A knee injury forced Machado’s father to retire in his mid-20s. “He still supported my ambition to be a footballer,” said Machado, who has scored three goals in eight Kitchee starts. “He came to every game and was always critical, which was good. I accepted it and improved.” Machado, 32, joined second division Tondela in 2014. The club were promoted in his first season, but midway through the following campaign he dropped back down to second-tier team Feirense and later discovered Tondela had earlier rejected an offer from English Championship club Millwall. “I was frustrated, they didn’t tell me about it, then six months later, they let me leave,” Machado said. “It didn’t make sense.” After Machado’s arrival, Feirense gained promotion, then finished eighth in their first Primeira Liga season. “Sometimes, you need to take one step back to take two forwards,” Machado said. Competing against Benfica, Porto and Sporting CP, Machado encountered a host of top-class players. Porto’s intimidating former Real Madrid defender, Pepe, was “physical and difficult”, while Alex Telles, who would move from Porto to Manchester United, was “the best defender I faced”. “He was tough and fast, and always attacked, so I spent my time defending,” Machado said. “All those clubs were on another level – they play with a lot of intensity and are tactically amazing.” Machado harboured ambitions of joining one of Portugal’s big three, “but I reached 26 or 27 and understood I was not at the level to go to those clubs”. After “the best years of my career” with Feirense, Machado had a disappointing season with Moreirense in 2019-20. “Things didn’t happen how I wanted, I probably needed to work a bit more at that moment,” he said. History repeated itself when Moreirense rejected a bid for Machado from CSKA Sofia, only to tell the player he could leave deep into the transfer window. After joining Indian Super League club NorthEast United, Machado thrived on the field, but was condemned to spending seven months in a hotel room because of Covid-19 restrictions. “It was psychologically difficult, especially for my wife,” he said. “All the clubs stayed in one hotel, in Goa, and I saw nothing of India. I would have stayed longer if it wasn’t for the situation.” Machado then spent three years with Radomiak Radom in Poland, where the football was “more direct and physical, and not so tactical”. “It was good, though, and I became stronger,” Machado said. He chose Kitchee over offers from India last summer. “I want to win titles and play in the Champions League, and I think I’m in the best place to do that,” Machado said. “You have everything in Hong Kong, the people are more open than in Poland. “The matches have more intensity than in India. The only problem is the pitches: that is something that needs managing if they want quality in the league.” Twelve-time champions Kitchee, who go to Southern on Saturday, are fourth in the table. “We have improved a lot from the first day and I think we play the best football in Hong Kong,” Machado said. “With Kitchee, you have to play well and win. It is a good type of pressure. “We believe we can be champions at the end of the season.”

Hongkongers warned they must adopt elite mindset or European clubs will overlook them

Luis Machado, targeting title in debut Hong Kong season with Kitchee after career in Europe, says local players have talent to make it