Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Suwon Samsung Bluewings
The Suwon Samsung Bluewings are a South Korean football club based in Suwon that competes in the K League 1, the top tier of South Korean football. Founded in December 1995, they have won the national championship on four occasions (1998, 1999, 2004 and 2008), as well as the Asian Club Championship (the predecessor to the AFC Champions League) 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 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 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.
Suwon won the FA Cup five times in the 2002, 2009, 2010, 2016 and 2019, becoming the most winning team in the FA Cup.
In particular, the 2016 Korean FA Cup final drew attention as it was a Super Match against traditional rival FC Seoul.
Crest and colours
Crest
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 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.
Grounds
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".
Training ground
The Bluewings' training ground is located in Dongtan, a district of Hwaseong.
Players
Current squad
Out on loan and military service
Club captains
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)
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.
Goalkeeper
Lee Woon-jae (1996–2011)
Defenders
Park Kun-ha (1996–2006)
Choi Sung-yong (2002–2006)
Lee Byung-keun (1996–2006)
Midfielders
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)
Forwards
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.
Goalkeeper
Lee Woon-jae (1996–2011)
Defenders
Choi Sung-yong (2002–2006)
Mato Neretljak (2005–2008, 2011)
Lee Byung-keun (1996–2006)
Kwak Hee-ju (2003-2013, 2015–2016)
Midfielders
Denis Laktionov (1996–2003, 2006–2007)
Ko Jong-soo (1996–2004)
Kim Jin-woo (1996–2007)
Seo Jung-won (1999–2004)
Forwards
Park Kun-ha (1996–2006)
Nádson (2003–2008)
Honours
Domestic
K League 1
Winners (4): 1998, 1999, 2004, 2008
Runners-up (4): 1996, 2006, 2014, 2015
Korean FA Cup
Winners (5): 2002, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2019
Runners-up (3): 1996, 2006, 2011
Korean League Cup
Winners (6): 1999, 1999s, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2008
Korean Super Cup
Winners (3): 1999, 2000, 2005
International
Asian Club Championship
Winners (2): 2000–01, 2001–02
Asian Cup Winners' Cup
Runners-up (1): 1997–98
Asian Super Cup
Winners (2): 2001, 2002
A3 Champions Cup
Winners (1): 2005
Record
K League Championship results are not counted.
The 1998, 1999 and 2000 seasons had penalty shoot-outs instead of draws.
A – Adidas Cup, P – Pro-Specs Cup, PM – Philip Morris Cup, D – Daehan Fire Insurance Cup, S – Samsung Hauzen Cup, PK – Peace Cup Korea, PC – Posco Cup, RC – Rush & Cash CupCW – Asian Cup Winners Cup, CC – Asian Club Championship, SC – Asian Super Cup, CL – AFC Champions League, A3 – A3 Champions Cup, PP – Pan-Pacific Championship, ST – Saitama City Cup
AFC Champions League record
All results (home and away) list Suwon's goal tally first.
Player statistics
Top scorers by seasons
Award winners
The following players have won awards while at Suwon Samsung Bluewings:
Domestic
K League MVP Award
Ko Jong-soo (1998)
Nádson (2004)
Lee Woon-jae (2008)
K League Top Scorer Award
Saša Drakulić (1999)
Sandro (2004)
Natanael Santos (2014)
Johnathan (2017)
Adam Taggart (2019)
K League Top Assists Award
Denis Laktionov (1999)
Yeom Ki-hun (2015, 2016)
Lee Ki-je (2022)
K League Best XI
Yoon Sung-Hyo (1996)
Pavel Badea (1996)
Lee Jin-Haeng (1998)
Ko Jong-Soo (1998, 1999)
Lee Woon-Jae (1999, 2002, 2004, 2008)
Shin Hong-Gi (1999)
Seo Jung-Won (1999, 2001, 2002)
Denis Laktionov (1999, 2000)
Saša Drakulić (1998, 1999)
Sandro Cardoso (2001)
Javier Martín Musa (2004)
Kwak Hee-Ju (2004)
Kim Do-Heon (2004)
Nádson (2004)
Cho Won-Hee (2005, 2008)
Park Ho-Jin (2006)
Mato Neretljak (2006, 2007, 2008)
Lee Kwan-Woo (2006, 2007)
Edu (2008)
Yeom Ki-hun (2011, 2015, 2017)
Hong Chul (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019)
Natanael Santos (2014)
Kwon Chang-hoon (2015, 2016)
Johnathan (2017)
Adam Taggart (2019)
Lee Ki-je (2021)
K League Young Player of the Year
Park Kun-ha (1996)
Ha Tae-kyun (2007)
Korean FA Cup MVP Award
Seo Jung-won (2002)
Lee Woon-jae (2009)
Yeom Ki-hun (2010, 2016)
Ko Seung-beom (2019)
Korean FA Cup Top Scorer Award
Denis Laktionov (1996)
Yeom Ki-hun (2019)
International
AFC Champions League Top Scorer
José Mota (2010)
AFC Champions League MVP Award
Zoltan Sabo (2000–01)
AFC Champions League BEST XI
Dejan Damjanović (2018)
A3 Champion Cup Top Scorer
Nádson (2005)
A3 Champions Cup MVP
Nádson (2005)
World Cup players
The following players have represented their country at the FIFA World Cup whilst playing for Suwon Samsung Bluewings:
World Cup 1998
Ko Jong-soo
World Cup 2002
Lee Woon-jae
Choi Sung-yong
World Cup 2006
Lee Woon-jae
Song Chong-gug
Cho Won-hee
Kim Nam-il
World Cup 2010
Lee Woon-jae
Yeom Ki-hun
World Cup 2014
Jung Sung-ryong
World Cup 2018
Matthew Jurman
Olympic players
The following players have represented their country at the Summer Olympic Games whilst playing for Suwon Samsung Bluewings:
1996
Ko Jong-soo
Lee Kyung-soo
Lee Ki-hyung
2000
Ko Jong-soo
2004
Cho Byung-kuk
Kim Do-heon
2008
Baek Ji-hoon
Shin Young-rok
2012
Jung Sung-ryong
2016
Kwon Chang-hoon
2020
An Chan-gi
Kwon Chang-hoon
Managers
Supporters
The Frente Tricolor is the official Suwon Samsung Bluewings supporters group.
Rivalries
Jijidae derby: vs Anyang LG Cheetahs (1996–2003)
Super Match: vs FC Seoul (2004–present)
Magyedaejeon: vs Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (2000–2013)
Suwon derby: vs Suwon FC (2005–present)
Original Classico: vs FC Anyang (2013–present)
The Siege: vs Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2015–present)
Sponsorship
Shirt sponsors and manufacturers
References
External links
FIFA.com – Classic Club: Suwon Samsung Bluewings (archived 14 November 2009)
Association football clubs established in 1995
K League 1 clubs
Sport in Suwon
Cheil Worldwide
Samsung Sports
1995 establishments in South Korea
Unrelegated association football clubs
Works association football clubs in South Korea
AFC Champions League winning clubs
Asian Super Cup winning clubs