Chan Yuen Ting

In this Chinese name, the family name is Chan (陳).
Chan Yuen Ting
Personal information
Full name Chan Yuen Ting
Date of birth (1988-10-07) 7 October 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth Hong Kong
Height 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Defender, Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2013 Shatin
International career
2008–2013 Hong Kong SAR
Managerial career
2015–2017 Eastern
2018–2019 Eastern
2019–2021 China U-16
2021 Hainan Qiongzhong L.F.C.
2022– Jiangsu L.F.C.
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Chan Yuen Ting (陳婉婷; born 7 October 1988) is a former football player and coach. She is the current head coach of Jiangsu L.F.C. In 2016, she became the first woman to coach a men's professional football team to the championship of a nation's top league.[1][2] In 2017, she became the first woman to coach a male football club in a top-flight continental competition when she managed Eastern against Guangzhou Evergrande in a match of AFC Champions League.[3]

Chan holds the AFC “Pro” License and AFC “Futsal Level 2” License coaching certifications.[4]

Career

In December 2015, Chan was appointed as the manager of Eastern Sports Club in the Hong Kong Premier League, replacing Yeung Ching Kwong. She was the first female manager in the league.[5][6]

Chan became interested in association football through her admiration as a teenager for David Beckham.[6] Chan graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a geography degree in 2010, and achieved a master's degree in sports science and health management during her time at Pegasus and Southern.[7] Despite her parents' initial desire that Chan pursue a more stable career, her first position after graduating from university was as a data analyst for Hong Kong Pegasus FC (then known as TSW Pegasus FC). Prior to joining Eastern Sports Club, she worked as an assistant manager at fellow Hong Kong Premier League clubs Pegasus FC and Southern District FC.[5][8] She also held coaching roles with the Hong Kong women's national association football and futsal teams, and plays at the non-professional club level for a team from Sha Tin.[9][1] During her time with Pegasus FC, Chan led their under-18 team to three trophies.[6]

Chan led Eastern to win the 2015–16 season, losing only one of the fifteen games played since Chan took over.[2] With Eastern's victory, Chan became the first woman to coach a men's professional association football team to the championship of a nation's top league.[1][2] Eastern also won the 2015–16 Hong Kong Senior Challenge Shield, only a month after Chan's appointment.[8][10]

In a March 2016 interview, Chan expressed an interest in managing teams elsewhere in Asia that had more established football cultures, but also that she hopes that her success steers investment into football in Hong Kong.[8]

In 2016, she was chosen as one of BBC's 100 Women.[11]

In 2017, she became the first woman to coach a male football club in a top-flight continental competition when she managed Eastern against Guangzhou Evergrande in the AFC Champions League.[3]

Chan resigned in May 2017 citing stress, failure to deliver trophies during the 2016-17 campaign and her desire to complete her AFC Pro License courses.[12]

On 18 July 2018, Chan returned as the role of head coach of Eastern.[13] She resigned less than seven months later on 4 February 2019, follow a run of only one win in 10 matches.[14]

Honours

Club

Coach

Eastern

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b c Chan Kin-wa (23 April 2016). "Meet Chan Yuen-ting, the first woman ever to lead a men's team to a top-flight soccer title". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Chan becomes first female to lead men's team to top-flight title". Four Four Two. Haymarket Media Group. 23 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  3. ^ a b Thomas, Lyall. "Chan Yuen-ting becomes first woman to manage in men's continental top-flight competition | Football News". Sky Sports. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  4. ^ "球隊教練團變動". Facebook. 東方足球隊 Eastern Football Team. (in Chinese)
  5. ^ a b Chan Kin-wa (26 December 2015). "Southern stun league rivals Kitchee 2–1 to make Senior Shield final". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  6. ^ a b c James Porteous; Kevin Kung (8 December 2015). "The first woman to coach in the Hong Kong Premier League takes over as coach for Eastern". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  7. ^ Chan, Kin-wa. "Chan Yuen-ting: Hong Kong soccer's biggest success story of the year, and possibly its least likely". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  8. ^ a b c Ambrose Li (2 March 2016). "HK Profile: Chan Yuen-ting – The first ever HK Premier League head coach". Time Out Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  9. ^ "Chan Yuen Ting becomes first ever female head coach in HKPL". Offside.hk. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  10. ^ Chan Kin-wa (24 January 2016). "Eastern warm coach Chan Yuen-ting's heart with her first silverware". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  11. ^ 2016, BBC, Retrieved 24 November 2016
  12. ^ "Eastern's trailblazing female coach Chan resigns". Eurosport. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  13. ^ "‼️Official confirm Chan Yuen Ting - 牛丸 🧑🏻as 🆕 Head Coach!". Facebook. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  14. ^ White, Jonathan. "Chan Yuen-ting leaves Eastern: former AFC Coach of the Year departs Hong Kong Premier League side after winless run". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
  15. ^ "INTERVIEW: Chan Yuen-ting". Asian Football Confederation. 10 January 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.