Leslie Santos’ Chelsea FC Soccer School Hong Kong struggling to survive amid Covid-19 pandemic as coaches face salary cuts
- The former Hong Kong Footballer of the Year still pays his coaches but is not sure for how long
- More than 50 coaches have been helping to coach up to 500 kids in Lam Tin until the government closed down all public facilities
Leslie Santos felt helpless as he surveyed the emptiness of his Chelsea FC Soccer School Hong Kong training ground in Lam Tin. Just a few months ago there were 500 kids enjoying the beautiful game but the Covid-19 pandemic has brought business to a halt.
“We have about 50 coaches to teach the youngsters football skills here, more than 30 are working full-time but none of them is working now because there are no more students,” said the two-time former Hong Kong Footballer of the Year (1990 and 1991). “The centre has been closed since early March as required by the government because of the pandemic. What can we do?”
The Lam Tin facility near Laguna City is not a full-sized football pitch but still attracted plenty of youngsters dreaming of emulating the success of their mentor. Santos was arguably the best player in Hong Kong during his days as a professional with local heavyweights South China.
Now the former Hong Kong international runs his own soccer school in collaboration with English Premier League giants Chelsea.
“We have employed many retired players because they are equipped with the best knowledge of the game,” said Santos. “Many of my former teammates such as Chan Fat-chi, Cheung Chi-tak, Lo Kai-wah and Tsui Kwok-on are part of the coaching team and they are very popular among the kids, not only because of their fame but also because they are truly great footballers.
