Davor Suker Joins Eastern District: Can Hong Kong Football Rise?

When John Morling walked into the Hong Kong Football Association 2½ years ago, he arrived with a simple, almost audacious question: if Croatia can do it, why can’t we?

Croatia, a nation of just under 4 million, have spent the past three decades punching far above their weight. One World Cup final, two semi-finals, and a conveyor belt of elite talent that keeps surprising the giants of the game. For a territory of 7 million like Hong Kong, still marooned at No 156 in the world rankings and nowhere near a World Cup – even one swollen to 64 teams – the contrast is stark.

Now one of the architects and icons of that Croatian miracle is stepping into Hong Kong’s football orbit.

Davor Suker, the golden-haired striker who lit up the 1998 World Cup and helped drive Croatia to the last four, has been appointed honorary president of Hong Kong Premier League side Eastern District. On paper, it is an eye-catching move. In local football circles, it also raised a few eyebrows.

Why Suker? Why Eastern District? Why now?

The 56-year-old is no mere figurehead from a nostalgic highlight reel. After his storied playing career with clubs such as Real Madrid and Arsenal, Suker moved into administration and spent nine years as president of the Croatian Football Federation. During his tenure, Croatia reached the 2018 World Cup final in Russia, confirming their status as the small nation that refuses to go away on the biggest stage.

Those years at the helm also brought him into regular contact with powerbrokers across the global game. Suker is now a Fifa ambassador and, on Thursday, he was back in the headlines as he publicly defended Fifa president Gianni Infantino. That willingness to wade into the political current underlines the reach and relationships he has built.

In Hong Kong’s case, the connection is more personal than political. Suker says he has developed a close friendship over the years with Eric Fok Kai-shan and Timothy Fok Tsun-ting, the current and former chairmen of the Football Association of Hong Kong, China. The bond was forged during his time running Croatian football and has now opened the door for a formal role in the local game.

For Eastern District, a club operating far from the glamour and resources of Europe’s elite, attaching a name like Suker to their project is a bold statement. It suggests an ambition to tap into Croatian know-how – not just the romance of 1998, but the hard, unglamorous work that turned a small nation into a World Cup regular.

Morling’s original question still hangs in the air. Hong Kong remains distant from the world stage, its national team no closer to a World Cup berth despite the looming expansion of the tournament. But with Suker now in the building, even in an honorary capacity, the territory has invited in someone who has lived the journey from hopeful outsider to genuine contender.

The secrets of Croatia’s rise may not be easily copied. The challenge for Hong Kong is whether it can turn this high-profile appointment into more than a headline.