A former Real Madrid player, part of the squad that won the 10th Champions League, has just won the league with his new team — curiously, more than 10,000 kilometers away from his home country.
More than 10,000 kilometers from his native Mutriku, Asier Illarramendi has made history with Kitchee. The Basque midfielder's team has impressively won the Hong Kong Premier League without losing a single match all season.
The midfielder arrived in September 2025, recruited by Inigo Calderon, and is the clear leader of a team with more Spanish representatives, including Roger Riera, Leandro Martinez, Revi, and Merquelanz.
The natural team from Kowloon had not won the domestic competition since 2023 and has finally achieved it after obtaining 50 points. They have won 16 encounters and have drawn only two. Now they have to play the final stage of the tournament, which includes one match against each of the next three teams.
Kitchee is the mathematical champion after having a comfortable 14-point lead over second-place Lee Man Warriors. With this well-deserved title, they will qualify for the AFC Champions League Two. That is more or less equivalent to the Europa League but in Asia. The same competition that Al Nassr is playing this season.
In terms of trajectory, level, and, above all, raw talent, Asier Illarramendi is the natural leader of this team. In total, he has played 14 matches, scoring two goals and providing three assists, and is a true all-terrain player. He has quickly won the hearts of all the 'Blue Birds' fans with his consistent performance on the pitch.
This incredible milestone for Asier Illarramendi comes in a special week for Real Sociedad. They will seek their fourth Copa del Rey on April 18. The last time they won it was in 2021, but that edition was from the previous season (it had to be postponed due to COVID-19), and it featured the Gipuzkoan midfielder on the roster.
"I love Real, so in the future, anything could happen. The doors will always be open, and it would be just a matter of talking," he said a few months ago.
With an eight-hour time difference in the Asian country, the Copa del Rey final will start at 5 a.m. in Hong Kong. Illarra will have to wake up early if he wants to follow his beloved former team live.
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