Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Full nameSuwon Samsung Bluewings Football Club
수원 삼성 블루윙즈 축구단
Nickname(s)Cheong-Baek-Jeok
Korean: 청백적
(The Blue, White and Reds)
Tricolor
Founded1995; 30 years ago (1995)
GroundSuwon World Cup Stadium
Capacity44,031
OwnerCheil Worldwide
ChairmanLee Jun
Head coachByun Sung-hwan
LeagueK League 2
2024K League 2, 6th of 13
Websitewww.bluewings.kr
Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Hangul
수원 삼성 블루윙즈
Hanja
水原三星 블루윙즈
Revised RomanizationSuwon Samseong Beulluwingjeu
McCune–ReischauerSuwŏn Samsŏng Pŭlluwingjŭ

The Suwon Samsung Bluewings (Korean: 수원 삼성 블루윙즈 FC) are a South Korean football club based in Suwon that competes in the K League 2, the second tier of South Korean football. Founded in December 1995, they have won the K League on four occasions (1998, 1999, 2004 and 2008), as well as the Asian Club Championship twice, in 2000–01 and 2001–02.

History

The club was officially founded in December 1995 by Samsung Electronics, becoming the ninth member of the K League from the 1996 season. It was also the first club to be founded in one specific city, a plan which led to the K-League initiating plans to encourage its other clubs to forge similar links with local communities.

Former South Korean national team manager Kim Ho took charge of the side from their first season in the K-League, and the team finished runners-up in the championship play-off that season. The championship was secured in 1998 and retained in 1999 as Suwon started to dominate Korean football.

Suwon lifted the Asian Club Championship twice in succession in 2000–01 and 2001–02, and also added the Asian Super Cup to their roll of honors on two occasions.

In the 2002 season, Suwon also won the Korean FA Cup for the first time, achieving a continental double.

The departure of Kim Ho in 2003 saw Korean football legend Cha Bum-kun appointed manager ahead of the 2004 season, and the club won its third league title in his debut season as manager.

Suwon finished runners-up in both major domestic competitions in 2006, as Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma claimed victory in the K-League championship play-off final and Chunnam Dragons won in the FA Cup final, thwarting Suwon's attempts to win the first ever domestic double in South Korean football.

The 2008 season became one of the most successful seasons in the club's history. Suwon achieved a domestic double by winning the K League Championship and the League Cup.

Since the appointment of coach Seo Jung-won in 2013, the team started focusing on financial self-sufficiency and reducing expenditures, marking a shift away from its previous approach of receiving generous support from its parent company Samsung Electronics, with ownership eventually being transferred to Cheil Worldwide, a Samsung affiliate. The club began transitioning from being a "team that wins by effectively utilizing the parent company's budget" to "a team that generates its own revenue and maintains appropriate performance."

Major financial changes at the club led to poor results, and in the 2023 season, the club was relegated to the second-tier K League 2 for the first time in its history after finishing last.

Crest and colours

Crest

The Hwaseong Fortress

The current crest has been used by the Bluewings since 2008. It depicts the Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a prominent symbol of the city of Suwon. The wing on the top of the crest is the club's first crest and symbolises their will to rise to the sky [sic] of world football.

Colours

The Bluewings' colours are blue, red and white. Blue is the colour of Samsung and also symbolises youth and hope. Red is the symbol of bravery, passion, challenge, vitality and dynamism. White represents benevolence, purity and fair play.

Stadium

A view of the Suwon World Cup Stadium

The Suwon Samsung Bluewings used the 11,808-seat Suwon Sports Complex as their home stadium from 1995 through 2001.

Samsung began building the Suwon World Cup Stadium, the current home of the Bluewings, in 1996, but construction stopped in 1998 due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis. With the support of the city of Suwon and Gyeonggi Province, the stadium was completed in May 2001. It was used as a venue for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Based on the shape of the roof of the stadium, fans sometimes call the stadium the "Big Bird".

The Bluewings' training ground is located in Dongtan, a district of Hwaseong.

Supporters and rivalries

Supporters at Suwon World Cup Stadium

Frente Tricolor is the official Suwon Samsung Bluewings supporters group. The group is known for its fanatical support for the club, especially versus its major rivals, which has sometimes led to violent incidents between Suwon supporters and rival fans.

The club's official theme song is "My Love, My Suwon" by the South Korean punk rock band No Brain. It is based on the song "Little Baby", released in 2003, and Suwon fans sang it by changing the lyrics.

The club shares its most fierce rivalry with FC Seoul in a derby dubbed the Super Match. The origins of the derby comes from when FC Seoul was based in the city of Anyang, where its previous parent company LG had a major presence. The derby was not only a rivalry between the cities of Anyang and Suwon, but one between Samsung and LG, two of the largest electronics companies in South Korea. The rivalry has continued since FC Seoul's relocation to Seoul. The derby now represents a rivalry between Seoul, the largest city in South Korea, and Suwon, the capital of Gyeonggi Province, the most populous administrative unit in South Korea that surrounds Seoul.

The club also shares rivalries with other major clubs in the Seoul Capital Area, including cross-town Suwon FC (Suwon Derby), FC Anyang (Jijidae Derby), Incheon United (Suin Derby), and Seongnam FC (Magye Derby), although its rivalry with Seongnam has weakened since Seongnam has declined as a major force in the K League.

Players

Current squad

As of 13 May 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  KOR Cho Sung-hoon
2 DF  KOR Jang Seok-hwan
3 DF  KOR Jang Ho-ik
5 DF  KOR Han Ho-gang
6 MF  KOR Yoo Je-ho
7 FW  KOR Kim Hyun
8 MF  KOR Park Sang-hyuk
9 FW  SRB Fejsal Mulić
10 FW  KOR Jeon Jin-woo
11 MF  MLI Aboubacar Ibrahima Toungara
12 FW  KOR Choi Ji-mook
13 MF  KOR Kim Bo-kyung
14 MF  JPN Kazuki Kozuka (vice-captain)
16 MF  KOR Lee Jong-sung (vice-captain)
17 FW  KOR Kim Kyung-jung
19 FW  KOR Seo Dong-han
20 DF  KOR Cho Yoon-sung
21 GK  KOR Yang Hyung-mo (captain)
22 MF  KOR Kim Sang-jun
23 DF  KOR Lee Ki-je
25 MF  KOR Choi Sung-keun
No. Pos. Nation Player
27 DF  KOR Lee Si-young
29 FW  KOR Lee Sang-min
30 DF  KOR Baek Dong-kyu
31 GK  KOR Lee Seong-ju
34 GK  KOR Park Ji-min
35 DF  KOR Kwak Sung-hoon
36 MF  KOR Myung Jun-jae
37 FW  KOR Kim Ju-chan
39 DF  KOR Min Sang-gi
42 MF  KOR Lim Hyun-sub
45 DF  KOR Hwang Myung-hyun
47 MF  KOR Park Seung-soo
50 DF  KOR Ko Jong-hyun
55 MF  KOR Im Ji-hoon
72 DF  KOR Lee Geon-hee
74 DF  KOR Jung Sung-min
77 DF  KOR Son Ho-jun
90 FW  KOR Park Hee-jun
91 MF  KOR Kim Seong-ju
96 FW  KOR Koo Min-seo
99 FW  KOR Son Seok-yong

Club captains

Yeom Ki-hun is the most capped player and top goalscorer in the club's history.
Year Captains Vice-captain(s)
1996 Kim Doo-ham Yoon Sung-hyo
1997 Shin Sung-hwan
1998 Jung Sung-hoon
1999 Shin Hong-gi
2000
2001 Park Kun-ha
2002 Seo Jung-won
2003 Kim Jin-woo Lee Woon-jae
2004 Lee Byung-keun Kim Young-sun
2005 Choi Sung-yong Kim Dae-eui
2006 Kim Nam-il Cho Jae-min
2007 Lee Kwan-woo Lee Jung-soo
2008 Song Chong-gug Kwak Hee-ju
2009 Lee Woon-jae Hong Soon-hak
2010 Cho Won-hee Kim Dae-eui
2011 Choi Sung-kuk Yeom Ki-hun
2012 Kwak Hee-ju Oh Beom-seok
2013 Kim Do-heon Oh Jang-eun
2014 Yeom Ki-hun
2015 Kim Eun-sun
2016 Hong Chul, Shin Se-gye
2017 Koo Ja-ryong, Lee Jong-sung
2018 Kim Eun-sun
2019 Yeom Ki-hun Choi Sung-keun, Hong Chul
2020 Choi Sung-keun, Kim Min-woo
2021 Kim Min-woo Min Sang-gi
2022 Min Sang-gi Choi Sung-keun
2023 Lee Ki-je Ko Seung-beom
2024 Yang Hyung-mo Kazuki Kozuka, Lee Jong-sung

Notable players

Hall of Fame
Seo Jung-won (1999–2004)
Park Kun-ha (1996–2006)
Lee Woon-jae (1996–2011)
Lee Byung-keun (1996–2006)
Kim Jin-woo (1996–2007)
Ko Jong-soo (1996–2004)
Denis Laktionov (1996–2003, 2006–2007)
Sandro (2000–2002, 2005–2007)
Nádson (2003–2008)
Kwak Hee-ju (2003–2013, 2015–2016)
Natanael Santos (2013–2017)
Yang Sang-min (2007–2022)
Yeom Ki-hun (2010–2023)
Greatest ever team (10th anniversary)

In the spring of 2005, as part of the club's celebration of its 10th anniversary, Suwon fans voted for the best players in the club's history. The players who received the most votes in each position were named in the club's greatest ever team.

Lee Woon-jae (1996–2011)
Park Kun-ha (1996–2006)
Choi Sung-yong (2002–2006)
Lee Byung-keun (1996–2006)
Ko Jong-soo (1996–2004)
Denis Laktionov (1996–2003, 2006–2007)
Kim Do-heon (2001–2005, 2009–2014)
Seo Jung-won (1999–2004)
Kim Jin-woo (1996–2007)
Nádson (2003–2008)
Saša Drakulić (1998–2000)
Greatest ever team (20th anniversary)

In the spring of 2015, as part of the club's celebration of its 20th anniversary, Suwon fans voted for the best players in the club's history. The players who received the most votes in each position were named in the club's greatest ever team.

Lee Woon-jae (1996–2011)
Choi Sung-yong (2002–2006)
Mato Neretljak (2005–2008, 2011)
Lee Byung-keun (1996–2006)
Kwak Hee-ju (2003–2013, 2015–2016)
Denis Laktionov (1996–2003, 2006–2007)
Ko Jong-soo (1996–2004)
Kim Jin-woo (1996–2007)
Seo Jung-won (1999–2004)
Park Kun-ha (1996–2006)
Nádson (2003–2008)

Honours

Suwon Samsung Bluewings players celebrating after winning the 2008 K League

Domestic

International

Record

Season Division Teams Position Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts League Cup FA Cup Super Cup AFC Other Manager
1996 1 9 Runners-up 32 18 9 5 57 33 +24 63 6th (A) Runners-up Kim Ho
1997 10 5th 18 7 7 4 23 23 0 28 6th (A)
3rd (P)
Quarter-final Runners-up (CW) Kim Ho
1998 10 Champions 20 13 1 6 34 22 +12 35 6th (A)
4th (PM)
Quarter-final Kim Ho
1999 10 Champions 29 23 0 6 60 26 +34 64 Winners (A)
Winners (D)
1st round Winners 4th (CC) Kim Ho
2000 10 5th 27 14 0 13 48 43 +5 36 Winners (A)
8th (D)
Quarter-final Winners Kim Ho
2001 10 3rd 27 12 5 10 40 35 +5 41 Winners (A) 1st round Champions (CC)
Winners (SC)
Kim Ho
2002 10 3rd 27 12 9 6 40 26 +14 45 4th (A) Winners Champions (CC)
Winners (SC)
Kim Ho
2003 12 3rd 44 19 15 10 59 46 +13 72 No competition Round of 32 No competition Kim Ho
2004 13 Champions 27 14 6 7 32 24 +8 46 4th (S) Round of 16 Cha Bum-kun
2005 13 10th 24 6 10 8 29 32 –3 28 Winners (S) Round of 16 Winners Winners (A3)
Group E 2nd (CL)
Cha Bum-kun
2006 14 Runners-up 29 12 10 7 31 25 +6 46 12th (S) Runners-up Cha Bum-kun
2007 14 3rd 27 15 6 6 36 25 +11 51 Semi-final (S) Round of 16 Competition ceased Cha Bum-kun
2008 14 Champions 28 18 4 6 49 26 +23 58 Winners (S) Round of 16 Cha Bum-kun
2009 15 10th 28 8 8 12 29 32 –3 32 Quarter-final (PK) Winners Round of 16 (CL) Winners (PP) Cha Bum-kun
2010 15 7th 28 12 5 11 39 44 –5 41 Semi-final (PC) Winners Quarter-final (CL) Runners-up (ST) Cha Bum-kun
Yoon Sung-hyo
2011 16 4th 30 17 4 9 51 33 +18 55 Semi-final (RC) Runners-up Semi-final (CL) Yoon Sung-hyo
2012 16 4th 44 20 13 11 61 51 +10 73 Competition ceased Quarter-final Yoon Sung-hyo
2013 14 5th 38 15 8 15 50 43 +7 53 Round of 16 Group H, 4th (CL) Seo Jung-won
2014 12 Runners-up 38 19 10 9 52 37 +15 67 Round of 32 Seo Jung-won
2015 12 Runners-up 38 19 10 9 60 43 +17 67 Round of 32 Round of 16 (CL) Seo Jung-won
2016 12 7th 38 10 18 10 56 59 –3 48 Winners Group G, 3rd (CL) Seo Jung-won
2017 12 3rd 38 17 13 8 63 41 +22 64 Semi-final Group G, 3rd (CL) Seo Jung-won
2018 12 6th 38 13 11 14 53 54 –1 50 Semi-final Semi-final (CL) Seo Jung-won
Lee Byung-keun (C)
Seo Jung-won
2019 12 8th 38 12 12 14 46 49 –3 48 Winners Lee Lim-saeng
2020 12 8th 27 8 7 12 27 30 –3 31 Quarter-final Quarter-final (CL) Lee Lim-saeng
Ju Seung-jin (C)
Park Kun-ha
2021 12 6th 38 12 10 16 42 50 –8 46 Quarter-final Park Kun-ha
2022 12 10th 38 11 11 16 44 49 –5 44 Quarter-final Park Kun-ha
Lee Byung-keun
2023 12 12th 38 8 9 21 35 57 –22 33 Quarter-final Lee Byung-keun
Choi Sung-yong (C)
Kim Byung-soo
Yeom Ki-hun (C)
2024 2 13 6th 36 15 11 10 46 35 +11 56 Round of 16 Yeom Ki-hun
Byun Sung-hwan

AFC Champions League record

All results (home and away) list Suwon's goal tally first.

Season Round Opposition Home Away Agg.
2005 Group E Hoang Anh Gia Lai 6–0 5–1 2nd
Shenzhen Jianlibao 0–0 0–1
Júbilo Iwata 2–1 1–0
2009 Group G Kashima Antlers 4–1 0–3 2nd
Singapore Armed Forces 3–1 2–0
Shanghai Shenhua 2–1 1–2
Round of 16 Nagoya Grampus 1–2
2010 Group G Gamba Osaka 0–0 1–2 1st
Singapore Armed Forces 6–2 2–0
Henan Jianye 2–0 2–0
Round of 16 Beijing Guoan 2–0
Quarter-final Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 2–0 1–4 3–4
2011 Group H Sydney FC 3–1 0–0 1st
Shanghai Shenhua 4–0 3–0
Kashima Antlers 1–1 1–1
Round of 16 Nagoya Grampus 2–0
Quarter-final Zob Ahan 1–1 2–1 (a.e.t.) 3–2
Semi-final Al-Sadd 0–2 1–0 1–2
2013 Group H Central Coast Mariners 0–1 0–0 4th
Guizhou Renhe 0–0 2–2
Kashiwa Reysol 2–6 0–0
2015 Group G Urawa Red Diamonds 2–1 2–1 2nd
Beijing Guoan 1–1 0–1
Brisbane Roar 3–1 3–3
Round of 16 Kashiwa Reysol 2–3 2–1 4–4 (a)
2016 Group G Gamba Osaka 0–0 2–1 3rd
Shanghai SIPG 3–0 1–2
Melbourne Victory 1–1 0–0
2017 Group G Kawasaki Frontale 0–1 1–1 3rd
Guangzhou Evergrande 2–2 2–2
Eastern 5–0 1–0
2018 Play-off Thanh Hóa 5–1
Group H Sydney FC 1–4 2–0 1st
Kashima Antlers 1–2 1–0
Shanghai Shenhua 1–1 2–0
Round of 16 Ulsan Hyundai 3–0 0–1 3–1
Quarter-final Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 0–3 (a.e.t.) 3–0 3–3
(4–2 p)
Semi-final Kashima Antlers 3–3 2–3 5–6
2020 Group G Guangzhou Evergrande 0–0 1–1 2nd
Vissel Kobe 0–1 2–0
Round of 16 Yokohama F. Marinos 3–2
Quarter-final Vissel Kobe 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(6–7 p)
  1. ^ a b c d e Played at a neutral venue.

Player statistics

Top scorers by seasons

Season Name Goals
1996 Park Kun-ha 7
1997 Cho Hyun-doo 7
1998 Saša Drakulić 8
1999 23
2000 Denis Laktionov 10
2001 Sandro Cardoso 17
2002 10
2003 Nádson 14
2004 14
2005 Mato Neretljak 10
2006 Baek Ji-hoon 5
2007 Nádson 8
2008 Edu 16
2009 Edu 7
2010 José Mota 11
 
Season Name Goals
2011 Stevica Ristić 9
2012 Dženan Radončić 14
2013 Jong Tae-se 10
2014 Natanael Santos 14
2015 12
2016 12
2017 Johnathan 22
2018 Dejan Damjanović 13
2019 Adam Taggart 20
2020 9
2021 Uroš Đerić
Kim Gun-hee
Jeong Sang-bin
Kim Min-woo
6
2022 Oh Hyeon-gyu 13

Award winners

The following players have won awards while at Suwon Samsung Bluewings:

Domestic

International

World Cup players

The following players have represented their country at the FIFA World Cup whilst playing for Suwon Samsung Bluewings:

World Cup 1998

World Cup 2002

World Cup 2006

World Cup 2010

World Cup 2014

World Cup 2018

Olympic players

The following players have represented their country at the Summer Olympic Games whilst playing for Suwon Samsung Bluewings:

1996

2000

2004

2008

2012

2016

2020

Managers

No. Name From To Season(s) Honours
1
Kim Ho 22 February 1995 October 2003
1996–2003
1998 K League
1999 K League
2000–01 Asian Club Championship
2001–02 Asian Club Championship
2002 Korean FA Cup
2
Cha Bum-kun 17 October 2003 6 June 2010
2004–2010
2004 K League
2008 K League
2009 Korean FA Cup
3
Yoon Sung-hyo 15 June 2010 12 December 2012
2010–2012
2010 Korean FA Cup
4
Seo Jung-won 12 December 2012
15 October 2018
28 August 2018
2 December 2018
2013–2018
2018
2016 Korean FA Cup
C Lee Byung-keun 28 August 2018 15 October 2018
2018
5
Lee Lim-saeng 3 December 2018 17 July 2020
2019–2020
2019 Korean FA Cup
C Ju Seung-jin 17 July 2020 8 September 2020
2020
6
Park Kun-ha 8 September 2020 15 April 2022
2020–2022
7
Lee Byung-keun 18 April 2022 17 April 2023
2022–2023
C Choi Sung-yong 18 April 2023 5 May 2023
2023
8
Kim Byung-soo 6 May 2023 26 September 2023
2023
C Yeom Ki-hun 26 September 2023 2 December 2023
2023
9 Yeom Ki-hun 9 January 2024 25 May 2024
2024
10 Byun Sung-hwan 31 May 2024 present
2024–

References

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  3. ^ Jee-ho, Yoo (2 December 2023). "How the mighty have fallen: Suwon Samsung Bluewings relegated to K League 2 amid falling payroll". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on 2 January 2024. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Bluewings' relegation is latest chapter in Samsung's fall from sporting glory". Korea JoongAng Daily. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
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