New coach and new signing arrive today, Meizhou Hakka determined not to just "coast along"

Reporter Wang Wei reports Last season, Meizhou Hakka was relegated, and most players left after their contracts expired. However, this does not mean that this team from the football hometown will just drift in China League One. At the beginning of 2026, they appointed Zhang Xiaorui as club general manager. Now, the head coach is confirmed — Gino Lettieri will arrive in Meizhou Wuhua on the 24th. In addition, defender Pellenard, formerly of French Ligue 2 Laval, will arrive together.

Last season, Meizhou tried Milan and Qu Gang as head coaches one after another, but the team was eventually relegated.

At the start of 2026, most Meizhou players’ contracts expired. From the first winter training this year, veteran players like Yang Yihu and Wang Jianan continue with the team, while most others training are from the youth squads.

Although the team is a mix of veterans leading newcomers, they do not intend to merely get by.

First, at the club level, Zhang Xiaorui joined Meizhou as general manager and also leads the coaching staff. Zhang has a rich coaching background, having been an assistant at Shenzhen FC and often stepping in as interim coach. At the end of the 2025 season, he was head coach of Nantong Zhiyun, pulling the team back from relegation danger to safety. Now, he has joined Meizhou.

Next are the foreign coach and foreign player. In selecting the head coach, Meizhou chose 59-year-old Swiss Gino Lettieri, born in Zurich, holding a UEFA Pro License. He has coached in Germany’s 2nd division, Poland, Greece, and Lithuania. While coaching in Poland and Lithuania, 13 players under him were called up to their national teams. Two players he developed have played in the UEFA Champions League.

Lettieri’s strength lies in applying various tactical systems to fit different squads, consistently developing young players to maximize their potential, and fostering symbiosis between veterans and youth, a style well suited to Meizhou’s current situation.

“I will organize matches and training based on existing conditions, aiming to build a strong team with the resources available,” Lettieri said.

In 2023, Lettieri led a team to win the Lithuanian top division championship as head coach. Between 2021 and 2022, he served as assistant coach for AEK Athens in the Greek Super League.

During his time in Germany, he was head coach of Duisburg in the 3rd and 2nd divisions for a long period, and also coached Augsburg and Darmstadt in the 3rd division. Chinese fans are familiar with Darmstadt, as Gu Guangming once played there, Kuang Zhaolei joined their youth team, and Schlabna was head coach of the club.

Lettieri will arrive in Meizhou on January 24, and the new foreign signing Pellenard will come with him.

The 31-year-old Pellenard, standing 1.82 meters tall, is a left-footed central defender. Last season in Ligue 2, he appeared 15 times, starting 11 matches, averaging 70 minutes per game. He has solid fundamentals, is aggressive in tackling and intercepting, with strong anticipation and interception skills. Pellenard’s addition will strengthen Meizhou’s defense, and the club plans to bring in foreign players to boost the attack next.