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Meizhou Hakka
梅州客家

Full name	Meizhou Hakka Football Club 梅州客家足球俱乐部
Founded	2013; 11 years ago (2013)
Ground	Huitang Stadium, Wuhua
Capacity	27,000
Head coach	Milan Ristić
League	China League One
2024	Chinese Super League, 15th of 16 (relegated)
Home colours Away colours

Meizhou Hakka Football Club (simplified Chinese: 梅州客家足球俱乐部; traditional Chinese: 梅州客家足球俱樂部; pinyin: Méizhōu Kèjiā Zúqiú Jùlèbù; Hakka language: Mòi-Chû Hag-Ga chuk-khiù khî-lo̍k-phu) is a Chinese professional football club based in Wuhua, Meizhou, Guangdong, that competes in China League One, the second tier of Chinese football. Meizhou Hakka plays its home matches at the Huitang Stadium, located within Wuhua County. Their current majority shareholders are the Meizhou municipal government, Municipal Sports Bureau, Wei Real Estate Development Co. Ltd. and partners.

History

Meizhou Hakka F.C. was established in January 2013 by former Guangdong Sunray Cave manager Cao Yang along with the support of the Meizhou municipal government, Municipal Sports Bureau. He would soon go on to gain financial support from the Chairman of Wei Real Estate Development Co., Ltd., Wei Jinping who was persuaded in investing into the team after Cao Yang described his envision of creating a footballing hub in Wuhua County, the home town of former Chinese footballer and coach Lee Wai Tong. The squad was assembled with local Hakka players and players from other teams in Guangdong, including Guangdong Sunray Cave, Guangzhou Evergrande, Shenzhen Ruby and Shenzhen Fengpeng before entering the third tier in the 2013 league season where despite topping the group stages they finished fifth in the knock-out stages.

Former Chinese national team head coach Qi Wusheng was brought in during the 2015 China League Two season. He would go on to help guide the club to win the division title in a penalty shoot-out against Dalian Transcendence and promotion to the second tier for the first time in the club's history. Qi Wusheng would not extend his contract with the club and Dutch football manager Luc Nijholt was brought in on 1 January 2016 as well as 80 million yuan to invest within the team. Luc Nijholt would leave the team on 19 July 2016 as the club sat twelfth within the league and marginally above the relegation zone, a position they would remain in for the rest of the season. After several managerial changes with limited success, Serbian manager Milan Ristić was brought in on 6 February 2021 and he was able to guide the team to promotion to the top tier at the end of the 2021 China League One season.

Name history

According to the club's statement:

• 2013 Meizhou Kejia 梅州客家
• 2014– Meizhou Wuhua 梅州五华

According to official documents of CFA:

• 2013–2015 Meizhou Kejia 梅州客家
• 2016— Meizhou Hakka 梅州客家

Current squad

First-team squad

As of 13 July 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  CHN Mai Gaoling 3 DF  CHN Pan Ximing 5 DF  CHN Tian Ziyi 6 DF  CHN Liao Junjian 7 DF  CHN Ye Chugui 10 MF  CHN Yin Hongbo 11 DF  CRO Darick Kobie Morris 12 MF  CHN Yin Congyao 13 FW  CHN Shi Liang 14 MF  CHN Li Ning 15 DF  CHN Chen Zhechao 16 FW  CHN Yang Chaosheng 17 FW  CHN Yang Yihu 18 GK  CHN Cheng Yuelei

No. Pos. Nation Player 20 DF  CHN Wang Jianan 23 MF  CHN Cui Wei 25 MF  BRA Rodrigo Henrique 27 MF  MNE Nebojša Kosović 28 FW  CMR John Mary 29 DF  HKG Yue Tze Nam 30 MF  CHN Chen Jie 31 DF  CHN Rao Weihui 35 GK  CHN Deng Xiongtao 36 DF  CHN Zhang Sijie 38 MF  CHN Li Yongjia 41 GK  CHN Guo Quanbo 42 MF  CHN Wei Zhiwei 43 MF  CHN Zhang Jiajie 44 MF  CHN Lincoln Ying

Reserve squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  CHN Hong Zhiyue — MF  CHN Shi Hongjun — MF  CHN Li Yang

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  CHN Yang Bin 9 FW  CMR Rooney Eva

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 44 MF  SVN Andrej Kotnik (at Dalian Young Boy until 31 December 2024) — MF  CHN Tao Zhilüe (at Ganzhou Ruishi until 31 December 2024)

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  CHN Chen Guokang (at Ganzhou Ruishi until 31 December 2024) — MF  CHN Cui Wei (at Guangdong GZ-Power until 31 December 2024)

Coaching staff

Position	Staff
Head coach	Milan Ristić
Assistant coach	Qu Gang
Goalkeeping coach	Da Silva
Fitness coach	Zdravko Peric

Source: CFA

Managerial history

• Cao Yang (2013)
• Tan Ende (2014–26 May 2015)
• Zhang Jun (26 May 2015 – 3 July 2015)
• Qi Wusheng (3 July 2015–31 Dec 2015)
• Luc Nijholt (1 Jan 2016–19 Jul 2016)
• Cao Yang (interim) (19 Jul 2016–31 Dec 2016)
• Vjekoslav Lokica (16 Feb 2017–29 Apr 2017)
• Cao Yang (interim) (29 Apr 2017–23 Jul 2017)
• Aleksandar Stankov (23 Jul 2017–18 Dec 2017)
• Rusmir Cviko (18 Dec 2017–28 Aug 2018)
• Li Weijun (interim) (28 Aug 2018–19 Dec 2018)
• Zheng Xiaotian (19 Dec 2018–6 Nov 2019)
• Marcelo Rospide (12 Nov 2019–31 Dec 2020)
• Milan Ristić (2 Feb 2021–4 Jan 2024)
• Pablo Villar (5 Jan 2024–20 May 2024)
• Qu Gang (interim) (20 May 2024–12 Jun 2024)
• Milan Ristić (12 Jun 2024–present)

Honours

• China League Two (tier-III)
  • Champions (1): 2015

Results

All-time league rankings

As of the end of 2024 season.

• ^1 In group stage.

Key

References

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• Meizhou Hakka F.C.
• Association football clubs established in 2013
• 2013 establishments in China
• Football clubs in Meizhou
• Chinese Super League clubs
• Football clubs in China