# Seongnam FC

Seongnam Football Club (Korean: 성남 FC) is a South Korean professional football club based in Seongnam that competes in the K League 2, the second tier of South Korean football. It is one of the most successful clubs in South Korea and the Asian Football Confederation, having won seven K League 1 titles and 2 AFC Champions League titles.

## History
### Ilhwa Chunma era 1989–2013
#### Foundation

In 1975, Sun Myung Moon, the owner of Tongil Group, wanted to found a professional football club in South Korea.
Since the Korean Super League was founded in 1983, he tried to find a club to participate in the league but Choi Soon-young, the head of Korea Football Association, ignored Moon's interest due to a religious reasons.
Nevertheless, Tongil Group prepared the foundation of a new football club since 1986 and finally obtained a license from Korea Football Association as a club based in Seoul.
Tongil Group firstly considered to establish the club in Honam provinces but there was objection from the local community.
Officially, the club was founded on 18 March 1989 as Ilhwa Chunma Football Club, and became the sixth member of the Korean Super League.
The foundation ceremony was held in the Sheraton Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul.
The club had chosen six players, including Ko Jeong-woon and signed Park Jong-hwan as the head coach. The contract with Park was a lucrative deal back then; a signing bonus of 100 million KRW was paid along with 48 million KRW as annual salary.

#### Early Successes

The club was successful from its beginning, winning its first League Cup three years after its foundation in 1992 and winning three consecutive league titles from 1993 to 1995.
In 1995, K League clubs wanted to stop the club's third consecutive title and agreed to change the league format back to two stages and the championship playoffs system; however, Ilhwa Chunma still won the title.
The club won its first Asian title in the same year, defeating Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr in the final to achieve a league and continental double.

#### Cheonan Bound

The club was forced to move out from Seoul in 1996 as part of the decentralization policy of the league.
Ilhwa Chunma moved to the city of Cheonan due to the city council proposition of refurbishing the Cheonan Oryong Stadium into the football-specific stadium and building another sports complex in Baekseok-dong.
The club also changed its name to Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma as a part of the policy.
By the end of 1997, Ilhwa was still a successful team. The club reached the final of the 1996–97 Asian Club Championship and the 1997 Korean FA Cup.
However, from 1998, the club went into a slump due to the core players moved out for various reasons, including Valeri Sarychev, Ilhwa's goalkeeper, due to the K League's year-by-year gradual restriction on foreign goalkeepers' appearances.
As a result, they had recorded the bottom of the league for two consecutive seasons, in 1998 and 1999.
In mid-1999, Cha Kyung-bok considered to resign voluntarily due to the poor results.
On 21 November 1999, Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma was crowned as the winners of the 1999 Korean FA Cup by winning the final 3–0 against Jeonbuk Hyundai Dinos at Jeju Stadium.

#### Resettled in Seongnam

In 2000, the club moved to the Seoul satellite city of Seongnam and renamed themselves to Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma.
The move worked out very well, as the rejuvenated club went on to win three consecutive K League titles from 2001 to 2003, as well as a league cup title in 2002 and an A3 Champions Cup in 2004.
A disappointing 2004 campaign saw them meekly relinquish their title. The club's shocking home ACL final defeat to Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad in the same year led to the resignation of their manager Cha Kyung-bok.
With Kim Hak-bum's management, the club bounced back to the forefront of South Korean football in style as they claimed their seventh league title in 2006, defeating Suwon Samsung Bluewings 3–1 on aggregate in the championship playoff final. This was their seventh K League title which is a record out of all the K League clubs.
Before they were defeated by Suwon Bluewings 2–1 on 15 July 2007 in the 2007 season, they went undefeated for 22 consecutive league matches – the third longest streak in the history of the K League.
Seongnam reached the final of the 2007 K League Championship but were beaten 4–1 on aggregate by the Pohang Steelers, despite finishing in first place during the regular season.
Seongnam's former player Shin Tae-yong returned as caretaker manager in the 2009 season, then as manager from the following season and continued the club's success.
The club won the 2010 AFC Champions League, defeating local rivals Suwon in the quarter-finals and Iranian side Zob Ahan 3-1 in the final before 27,000 fans in Tokyo's National Stadium.
Another FA Cup trophy was won in 2011, with Seongnam beating Suwon 1–0 in the final.

### Seongnam FC era (2014–present)

In October 2013, Lee Jae-myung, the mayor of Seongnam, had a conference and announced that Seongnam City Council agreed to take over the club from Ilhwa Sports and will be participating under the name Seongnam FC.
In December 2013, Seongnam City officially took over the club from Ilhwa Co., Ltd.
They changed their symbol to magpie, the symbol of the Seongnam city, from chunma, which was the symbol of the Unification Church. The yellow color of their uniform was also replaced with black.
Their first manager Park Jong-hwan, who had managed the club from 1988 to 1996, returned to the club as manager once again.
The club played the first home game as Seongnam FC on 15 March 2014 against FC Seoul, resulting in a 0–0 draw.
Their first post-rebranding victory came on 26 March, when they beat their bitter rivals Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2–0. The following month, manager Park Jong-hwan resigned after it was revealed that he had been assaulting players.
After months of confusion, the club appointed Kim Hak-bum, who previously led their golden age, as their manager.
The return turned out to be successful, as Seongnam not only escaped relegation but also won their third FA Cup trophy, beating FC Seoul in a penalty shoot-out.
In the 2016 season, after Incheon's win over Suwon FC on the final day of the season, Seongnam finished 11th and were relegated to the second division for the first time in their history after being defeated by Gangwon FC on away goals rule in the promotion-relegation playoffs.
Nam Ki-il was announced as the club's new manager on 6 December 2017, replacing Park Kyung-hoon. He contributed a lot to the promotion of Seongnam FC to the first division just one season after it was demoted to the second division.
Nam resigned his position as the manager of the club on 16 December 2019
Kim Nam-il was appointed as the club's new manager on 23 December 2019 to lead the club in the 2020 K League 1 season.
In 2022, the club was once again relegated to K League 2.
The club finished the 2024 K League 2 season dead last, but remained in the league due to no promotion and relegation between K League 2 and K3 League.

## Facilities

The club has played their home games in Tancheon Sports Complex since 2005.
The stadium earned the nickname "Tancheon Fortress" (탄천요새) in the 2000s due to the club's successful home record in the AFC Champions League.
The modern Seongnam Football Center, serving as the club's training ground, was completed in December 2021, built at a cost of 26 billion won. It includes a natural grass training field, sauna, weight room, physical therapy room, and medical facilities.

### Historical

Seongnam previously played their home games in the Cheonan Oryong Stadium when the club was based in Cheonan. On 22 August 1998, Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma had to finish the game against Jeonnam Dragons during the penalty shoot-out, after 1–1 draw in extra time. According to K League regulations back then, teams were required to decide the winner with the golden goal or the penalty shoot-out after the extra time, if the match score is level at the end of normal time. Since the stadium was not equipped with a floodlight system, they had to finish their games before sunset. Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma won the game by a draw.

## Supporters and rivalries

The club's main supporters group is called Black List.
Supporters of Seongnam have worked to protect the club amid rumors of its departure or dissolution.
Seongnam's biggest rival team is Suwon Samsung Bluewings. Their rivalry has been dubbed the Magyedaejeon.

## Historical Asian performance

Seongnam won the 1995 Asian Club Championship, defeating Al-Nassr 1–0 after extra time in the final.
Seongnam reached the final of the 2004 AFC Champions League. Despite winning the away leg 3–1, they lost the home leg 5–0 to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad and lost the tie 6–3 on aggregate.
On 13 November 2010, Seongnam beat Iranian club Zob Ahan FC 3–1 in the final of the 2010 AFC Champions League.
This was Seongnam's second AFC Champions League title and qualified them directly into the quarter-finals stage of the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup which they finished fourth.
Seongnam also placed fifth in the IFFHS Asian Clubs of the 20th century.

## 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 | Yu Sang-hun |
| 2 | DF | KOR | Park Kwang-il |
| 3 | DF | KOR | Kang Ui-bin |
| 4 | MF | KOR | Han Seok-jong |
| 6 | MF | KOR | Jung Won-jin |
| 7 | MF | KOR | Oh Jae-hyeok |
| 8 | MF | UZB | Ikromjon Alibaev |
| 9 | FW | COL | Leonardo Acevedo |
| 10 | FW | BRA | Gabriel Honório |
| 11 | FW | KOR | Kim Jeong-hwan |
| 13 | FW | KOR | Jeon Seong-soo |
| 14 | DF | KOR | Kim Hun-min |
| 15 | DF | KOR | Yang Si-hoo |
| 16 | MF | KOR | Ryu Jun-seon |
| 17 | FW | KOR | Shin Jae-won |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 18 | FW | KOR | Lee Jeong-hyeop |
| 19 | MF | KOR | Yang Tae-yang |
| 20 | DF | KOR | Jo Seong-wook |
| 21 | GK | KOR | Choi Pil-soo |
| 22 | DF | KOR | Jung Seung-yong |
| 23 | DF | KOR | Jang Yeong-gi |
| 26 | FW | KOR | Park Hyun-bin |
| 27 | FW | KOR | Lee Jun-sang |
| 28 | DF | KOR | Yun Young-sun |
| 29 | DF | KOR | Jang Hyo-joon |
| 31 | GK | KOR | Heo Ja-woong |
| 47 | FW | KOR | Park Ji-won |
| 66 | DF | KOR | Kim Joo-won |
| 77 | FW | KOR | Jung Jae-won |
| 88 | MF | KOR | Kook Kwan-woo |

## Managers

List of Seongnam FC managers :
| No. | Name | From | To | Season(s) | Notes |
| 1 | Park Jong-hwan | 1988/09/16 | 1996/04/02 | 1989–1995 | |
| C | Won Heung-jae | 1990/04/27 | 1990/06/27 | 1990 | Unofficial caretaker |
| C | Lee Jang-soo | 1996/04/03 | 1996/08/17 | 1996 | |
| 2 | Lee Jang-soo | 1996/08/18 | 1996/12/05 | 1996 | |
| 3 | René Desaeyere | 1996/12/18 | 1998/09/08 | 1997–1998 | |
| 4 | Cha Kyung-bok | 1998/09/09 | 2004/12/01 | 1998–2004 | |
| C | Kim Hak-bum | 2004/12/07 | 2004/12/29 | 2004 | In charge in the FA Cup |
| 5 | Kim Hak-bum | 2004/12/30 | 2008/11/27 | 2005–2008 | |
| C | Shin Tae-yong | 2008/12/06 | 2010/02/17 | 2009 | |
| 6 | Shin Tae-yong | 2010/02/18 | 2012/12/08 | 2010–2012 | |
| 7 | An Ik-soo | 2012/12/14 | 2013/12/22 | 2013 | |
| 8 | Park Jong-hwan | 2013/12/23 | 2014/04/22 | 2014 | |
| C | Lee Sang-yoon | 2014/04/22 | 2014/08/26 | 2014 | |
| C | Lee Young-jin | 2014/08/26 | 2014/09/05 | 2014 | |
| 9 | Kim Hak-bum | 2014/09/05 | 2016/09/12 | 2014–2016 | |
| C | Gu Sang-bum | 2016/09/12 | 2016/11/20 | 2016 | |
| C | Byun Sung-hwan | 2016/11/06 | 2016/11/20 | 2016 | Unofficial caretaker |
| 10 | Park Kyung-hoon | 2016/12/01 | 2017/11/27 | 2017 | |
| 11 | Nam Ki-il | 2017/12/06 | 2019/12/16 | 2018–2019 | |
| 12 | Kim Nam-il | 2019/12/26 | 2022/08/24 | 2020–2022 | |
| C | Chung Kyung-ho | 2022/08/24 | 2022/10/15 | 2022 | |
| 13 | Lee Ki-hyung | 2022/12/09 | 2024/03/20 | 2023–2024 | |
| C | Choi Chul-woo | 2024/03/22 | | 2024– | |

## Honours
### Domestic
#### League

* K League 1
** Winners (7): 1993, 1994, 1995, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006
** Runners-up (3): 1992, 2007, 2009
* K League 2
** Runners-up (1): 2018

#### Cups

* Korean FA Cup
** Winners (3): 1999, 2011, 2014
** Runners-up (3): 1997, 2000, 2009
* Korean League Cup
** Winners (3): 1992, 2002, 2004
** Runners-up (3): 1995, 2000, 2006
* Korean Super Cup
** Winners (1): 2002
** Runners-up (2): 2000, 2004
* President's Cup
** Winners (1): 1999
* ↑ Reserve team

### International
#### Asian

* Asian Club Championship/AFC Champions League
** Winners (2): 1995, 2010
** Runners-up (2): 1996–97, 2004
* Asian Super Cup
** Winners (1): 1996
* A3 Champions Cup
** Winners (1): 2004

#### Worldwide

* FIFA Club World Cup
** Fourth place (1): 2010
* Afro-Asian Club Championship
** Winners (1): 1996

## Season-by-season records

| Season | Division | Tms. | Pos. | FA Cup | AFC CL |
| 1989 | 1 | 6 | 5 | — | — |
| 1990 | 1 | 6 | 6 | — | — |
| 1991 | 1 | 6 | 5 | — | — |
| 1992 | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | — |
| 1993 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | — |
| 1994 | 1 | 7 | 1 | — | — |
| 1995 | 1 | 8 | 1 | — | Semi-final |
| 1996 | 1 | 9 | 8 | Quarter-final | Winners |
| 1997 | 1 | 10 | 8 | Runners-up | Runners-up |
| 1998 | 1 | 10 | 10 | Quarter-final | — |
| 1999 | 1 | 10 | 10 | Winners | — |
| 2000 | 1 | 10 | 3 | Runners-up | — |
| 2001 | 1 | 10 | 1 | Quarter-final | — |
| 2002 | 1 | 10 | 1 | Semi-final | — |
| 2003 | 1 | 12 | 1 | Round of 16 | Group stage |
| 2004 | 1 | 13 | 9 | Round of 32 | Runners-up |
| 2005 | 1 | 13 | 3 | Round of 16 | — |
| 2006 | 1 | 14 | 1 | Round of 32 | — |
| 2007 | 1 | 14 | 2 | Round of 16 | Semi-final |
| 2008 | 1 | 14 | 5 | Quarter-final | — |
| 2009 | 1 | 15 | 2 | Runners-up | — |
| 2010 | 1 | 15 | 4 | Quarter-final | Winners |
| 2011 | 1 | 16 | 10 | Winners | — |
| 2012 | 1 | 16 | 12 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 |
| 2013 | 1 | 14 | 8 | Round of 16 | — |
| 2014 | 1 | 12 | 9 | Winners | — |
| 2015 | 1 | 12 | 5 | Quarter-final | Round of 16 |
| 2016 | 1 | 12 | 11 | Quarter-final | — |
| 2017 | 2 | 10 | 4 | Quarter-final | — |
| 2018 | 2 | 10 | 2 | Round of 32 | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 12 | 9 | Round of 32 | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 12 | 10 | Semi-final | — |
| 2021 | 1 | 12 | 10 | Round of 16 | — |
| 2022 | 1 | 12 | 12 | Round of 16 | — |
| 2023 | 2 | 13 | 9 | Round of 16 | — |
| 2024 | 2 | 13 | 13 | Quarter-final | — |

### Key

* Tms. = Number of teams
* Pos. = Position in league

## AFC Champions League record

| Season | Round | Opposition | Home | Away | Agg. |
| 2003 | Group B | Osotsapa | 6–0 | 6–0 | 2nd |
| 2003 | Group B | Shimizu S-Pulse | 2–1 | 2–1 | | 2nd |
| 2003 | Group B | Dalian Shide | 1–3 | 1–3 | | 2nd |
| 2004 | Group G | Persik Kediri | 15–0 | 2–1 | 1st |
| 2004 | Group G | Bình Định | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1st |
| 2004 | Group G | Yokohama F. Marinos | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1st |
| 2004 | Quarter-final | Sharjah | 6–0 | 5–2 | 11–2 |
| 2004 | Semi-final | Pakhtakor | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 |
| 2004 | Final | Al-Ittihad | 0–5 | 3–1 | 3–6 |
| 2007 | Group G | Dong Tam Long An | 4–1 | 2–1 | 1st |
| 2007 | Group G | Shandong Luneng Taishan | 3–0 | 1–2 | 1st |
| 2007 | Group G | Adelaide United | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1st |
| 2007 | Quarter-final | Al-Karamah | 2–1 | 2–0 | 4–1 |
| 2007 | Semi-final | Urawa Red Diamonds | 2–2 | 2–2 (a.e.t.) | 4–4 (3–5 p) |
| 2010 | Group E | Kawasaki Frontale | 2–0 | 0–3 | 1st |
| 2010 | Group E | Melbourne Victory | 3–2 | 2–0 | 1st |
| 2010 | Group E | Beijing Guoan | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1st |
| 2010 | Round of 16 | Gamba Osaka | 3–0 | — | — |
| 2010 | Quarter-final | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 4–1 | 0–2 | 4–3 |
| 2010 | Semi-final | Al-Shabab | 1–0 | 3–4 | 4–4 (a) |
| 2010 | Final | Zob Ahan | 3–1 | 3–1 | — |
| 2012 | Group G | Nagoya Grampus | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1st |
| 2012 | Group G | Tianjin TEDA | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1st |
| 2012 | Group G | Central Coast Mariners | 5–0 | 1–1 | 1st |
| 2012 | Round of 16 | Bunyodkor | 0–1 | — | — |
| 2015 | Group F | Buriram United | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2nd |
| 2015 | Group F | Gamba Osaka | 2–0 | 1–2 | 2nd |
| 2015 | Group F | Guangzhou R&F | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2nd |
| 2015 | Round of 16 | Guangzhou Evergrande | 2–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 |
* 1 2 3 4 Played at a neutral venue.