“But we are duty-bound to put the club’s long-term interests above all sense of personal sentiment, no matter how strong that might be.”

Assistant manager Craig Shakespeare and first team coach Mike Stowell will take over the managerial duties until a new coach is found, starting with this weekend’s Premier League match against Liverpool. Chan was making her debut in the elite Asian club tournament with the Hong Kong champions while Scolari, who led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup title, took over at Chinese powerhouse Guangzhou Evergrande in 2015 and led them to the Asian Champions League title that same year.
Eastern Sports Club's manager Chan Yuen-ting becomes the first woman to coach a male football club in a top-flight continental competition with managing team against Guangzhou Evergrande in the AFC Champions League.