“Having left SK Sturm Graz for the second time in my career, (it) wasn’t easy at all,” Jantscher told Kitchee’s official club media. 

 

“I left the club for the first time for a new challenge when I was 21, and I left the club for the second time with the same purpose at the age of 34. This is going to be my first time playing in Asia, and I am really looking forward to the challenges ahead.”

Jantscher first departed Sturm Graz in 2010 to join Red Bull Salzburg, where he was a member of the 2011/12 Bundesliga-winning side, before playing for Dynamo Moscow on loan and featuring for NEC Nijmegen, Luzern and Caykur Rizespor before returning to Graz in 2018.

 

He played 23 times for Austria during a seven-year international career that started in 2009 and included the UEFA Euro 2016 championships. 

 

Jantscher last played for Graz on August 19 against SC Austria Lustenau as a late substitute and was a member of the squad that represented the club in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers when they were eliminated by PSV Eindhoven.

He joins a Kitchee squad that won the Hong Kong Premier League, Hong Kong FA Cup and Senior Shield last season.

 

“Jantscher’s technical ability is unquestionable, and he is capable of playing as a striker or he can also operate in both wide positions,” said Kitchee coach Alex Chu. 

 

“We are about to start our AFC Champions League journey, and his arrival can definitely enhance the technical quality, dynamism, and depth in the team.”

Kitchee are appearing in the group stage of the AFC Champions League for the third season in a row and will be aiming to emulate last year’s performance, when they progressed to the knockout phase for the first time in the club’s history.

 

Chu’s side have been drawn in Group F and will kick off their campaign against two-time champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on September 20 before also facing Thailand’s Bangkok United and Lion City Sailors from Singapore.