Ratchaburi Football Club ( Thai: สโมสรฟุตบอลจังหวัดราชบุรี) (also known as Ratchaburi Mitr Phol due to sponsorship reasons), is a Thai professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club based in

Ratchaburi province Ratchaburi province (, ) or Rat Buri () is one of Thailand's seventy-six provinces (''changwat'') lies in Western Thailand. Neighbouring provinces are (from north clockwise) Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram and ...

that currently plays in

Thai League 1 The Thai League (, pronounced as ') or Thai League 1 (, pronounced as '), often referred to as T1, is the highest level of the Thai football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Thai L ...

. Ratchaburi has the nickname ''The Dragons'' which can be seen in the club official crest.

History

Establishment and early years

Ratchaburi Football Club was founded in 2004 and then joined 2006 Thailand Division 2 League. Ratchaburi able to win the Thailand Division 2 League title, get the right to compete in the 2007 Thailand League Division 1. The 2007 League Division 1 season has a total of 24 teams participating in the competition, divided into 2 groups, 12 teams each and at the end of the competition, the top five of each group will be relegated to the competition. Thai League Division 2, the club did not perform very well, finished the season with the last place in the group A table. In 2008, Ratchaburi finished in seventh place out of the 11 participating teams, causing the team to relegate, but due to the

Football Association of Thailand The Football Association of Thailand, under the Patronage of His Majesty the King (), or FA Thailand (FAT) for short, is the governing body of association football, futsal and beach soccer in Thailand. It was founded on 25 April 1916. The associ ...

reshaping the competition in the season 2009 makes Ratchaburi continue to compete in the Thai League Division 2

2009 Regional League Division 2 2009 Regional League Division 2 was contested by the five regional league winners of the 3rd level championships of Thailand. Five teams met on a home and away basis, with the top three teams gaining promotion to the Thai 1st Division for the 20 ...

is the first season to compete in a 5-region zone system, Ratchaburi Football Club is organized in the Central and Eastern region. The club finished the season with 9th place out of 12 participating teams.

Dragon's breath

In 2010, the Nitikarnchana family decided to take over Ratchaburi Football Club, which was then in the Regional League Division 2. In 201, the club won the Central-East Division before earning promotion to Division 1 after winning Group A of the Division 2 playoffs. Prior to the 2012 season, Ratchaburi was sponsored by the

Mitr Phol Group Mitr Phol Group is Thailand's and Asia's biggest sugar and bio-energy producer. Mitr Phol Sugar Corp is a privately owned group of companies, mainly owned by the Vongkusolkit family. As of 2014, Mitr Phol is ranked as the world's fifth largest s ...

and announced the change of the club's name to Ratchaburi Mitr Phol, with Sorraaut Klinprathum as the club's president, Boonying Nitikarnchana as the club's vice president and Thanawat Nitikarnchana is the team manager and

Somchai Maiwilai Somchai Maiwilai (, born 27 June 1970) is a Thai football manager,Somchai Maiwilai
Goal.com< ...

is a head coach. Whilst in Division 1, Ratchaburi made it to the

2012 Thai League Cup The Thai League Cup is a knock-out football tournament played in Thai sport. Some games are played as a single match, others are played as two-legged contests. The 2012 Thai League Cup kicked off on 3 April 2012 with the Bangkok & field regional ...

final where they lost 4–1 to

Buriram United Buriram United Football Club () is a Thai professional football club based in Buriram. The club has played at the top level of Thai football for the majority of their existence and competes in the Thai League 1. The club was founded in 1970 as P ...

. The final was most remembered for the farcical circumstances that Ratchaburi faced as they didn't have any substitutes on the bench due to having several ineligible loanees from opponents Buriram United. Ratchaburi never stood a chance as Buriram won the final at a canter.

Promotion to the top flight

In the following season, Ratchaburi flew through the

2012 Thai Division 1 League 2012 Thai League Division 1 (known as Yamaha League 1 for sponsorship reasons) is the 15th season of the League since its establishment in 1997. It is the feeder league for the Thai Premier League. A total of 18 teams will compete in the league t ...

winning the title on their way to the top flight league. In the first season of the Ratchaburi in top-tier league is considered unsuccessful, ranked 15th out of the total of 18 teams, but due to the problem of scrambling for the rights of the team between

Sisaket Sisaket (, , ; Northern Khmer dialect, Northern Khmer: ) is a Thesaban#Town municipality, town municipality in Isan, northeast Thailand, incorporating Mueang Nuea and Mueang Tai Subdistricts and parts of Cham, Nong Khrok, Pho, Phon kha, and Ya P ...

and Esan United escalate, The Thai League company decided to increase the top 20 teams in TPL, resulting in the

Thai Premier League The Thai League (, pronounced as ') or Thai League 1 (, pronounced as '), often referred to as T1, is the highest level of the Thai football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Thai L ...

competition in 2013 season, there was only one relegation team, Pattaya United (17th place). In 2014 season, Ratchaburi reacted by appointing former

Girona Girona (; ) is the capital city of the Province of Girona in the autonomous community of Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 106,476 in 2024, but the p ...

manager Ricardo Rodríguez as their new manager for the new

2014 Thai Premier League The 2014 Thai Premier League (also known as Toyota Thai Premier League due to the sponsorship from Toyota) is the 18th season of the Thai Premier League since its establishment in 1996. A total of 20 teams are competing in the league. The season h ...

season. The Dragons finished comfortably in 4th place.

Move to Mitr Phol Stadium and recent years

After participating in the top league for 3 years, Ratchaburi Mitr Phol has a project to build its own football stadium. The stadium started construction in 2015 and opened for the first time in mid-2016. In 2016 the club moved to new ground,

Mitr Phol Stadium The Ratchaburi Stadium (known for sponsorship purposes as Dragon Solar Park) is a football-purpose stadium in Ratchaburi Province, Thailand. It is located in the town of Huai Phai and it is currently used for football matches and it is the hom ...

and the club appointed

Robert Procureur Robert Procureur (born 17 October 1959, in Brussels) is a Belgian football coach who is the current Director of Football of Ratchaburi Mitr Phol. Coaching career Four years ago Procureur saw his opportunity to break into Thailand's top footbal ...

as the club technical director. In 2016, Following the death of King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until Death and funeral of Bhumibol Adulyadej, his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any List of Thai mo ...

, the

cancelled the remaining league and cup season on 14 October 2016, with three rounds remaining. Ratchaburi then was announced as the

2016 Thai FA Cup The Chang FA Cup 2016 () is the 23rd season of Thailand knockout football competition. The tournament is organized by the Football Association of Thailand. Following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the Football Association of Thailand can ...

champions where the title was shared among Chainat Hornbill,

Chonburi Chonburi (, , IAST: , ) is the capital of Chonburi Province and, as part of the district Mueang Chonburi District, Mueang Chonburi, the List of municipalities in Thailand, seventh-largest city in Thailand. It is about 100 km southeast of Ba ...

and Sukhothai who was then in the semi-finals. Ratchaburi then finished the league in 6th place. Philip Roller 20191102

In the 2017 season, Ratchaburi continued to progress under Pacheta's stewardship, and with a team containing half blood players Philip Roller and

Kevin Deeromram Kevin Deeromram (, born 11 September 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Thai League 1 club Port. Born in Sweden, he plays for the Thailand national team. International career On 6 June 2017, Deeromram made the deb ...

reached league finish as 6th place as well as reaching the semi-final of the League Cup losing 0–1 to Chiangrai United at

Supachalasai Stadium The Suphachalasai Stadium () is a sports stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, part of the National Stadium (Thailand), National Stadium complex. History The stadium construction started in 1937 in the original area of Thai Windsor Palace (Bangkok), ...

. In 2018 season, a dismal run of form saw the team slip to the bottom of the league table. Ratchaburi finished the season in 12th place with 43 points, they were one point adrift from safety. In 2019, after beating

in the semi-final, Ratchaburi reached the

2019 Thai FA Cup The 2019 Thai FA Cup is the 26th season of a Thailand's knockout football competition. It was sponsored by Chang, and known as the Chang FA Cup () for sponsorship purposes. The tournament is organized by the Football Association of Thailand. 100 ...

Final for the first time in their history. In the final, played at

Leo Stadium True BG Stadium is a football stadium in Thanyaburi, Pathum Thani, Thailand, and the home of BG Pathum United and True Bangkok United of the Thai League 1. Previously known for its iconic three-sided main stand, the newly constructed fourth ...

, Ratchaburi lost to

Port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

1–0, with a goal by

Sergio Suárez Sergio Gustavo Suárez Arteaga (born 6 January 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Tamaraceite. Club career Born in Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Suárez came through local UD Las Palmas' youth system, makin ...

scored in second half. Ratchaburi made it becoming the runner-up of the competition.

AFC Champions League debut

In 2021, Ratchaburi qualified to

2021 AFC Champions League The 2021 AFC Champions League was the 40th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 19th under the current AFC Champions League title. Al-Hilal won their fourth title by ...

for the first time in club history after finishing the position in top four in the 2020–21 season. Ratchaburi was then placed in group G alongside South Korean

Pohang Steelers The Pohang Steelers (Hangul: 포항 스틸러스) are a South Korean professional Association football, football club based in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province that compete in the K League 1, the top flight of Football in South Korea, South Ko ...

, Japanese club

Nagoya Grampus ; formerly known as is a Japanese association football club that plays in the J1 League, and have for all but one season since the inauguration of the league, following promotion from the J2 League in 2017. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture an ...

and Malaysian club

Johor Darul Ta'zim Johor, also spelled Johore,'' is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. It borders with Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the north. Johor has maritime borders with Singapore to the south and Indonesia to the east and w ...

. On 4 July 2021, the club then registered their first ever points in the tournament after a goalless draw against Pohang Steelers. In 2022, Ratchaburi ended their 10-years sponsorship with Mitr Phol where the club name was shorten back to Ratchaburi. The club stadium has also renamed to Dragon Solar Park after the solar panel manufacturing company Dragon Solar.

Academy

Ratchaburi opened its first youth academies in 2016 under the name ''The Dragons Academy''. In 2017, Ratchaburi Mitr Phol have appointed Douglas Cardozo as Head of Youth Development.

Stadium

From 2007 to 2016, the club used Ratchaburi Provincial Stadium owned by the city council as their home ground. In June 2016, the club built

Dragon Solar Park The Ratchaburi Stadium (known for sponsorship purposes as Dragon Solar Park) is a association football, football-purpose stadium in Ratchaburi Province, Thailand. It is located in the town of Huai Phai and it is currently used for football (so ...

in the town of Huai Phai, Ratchaburi Province to be its new home ground and is directly owned by the club. The stadium has a capacity of 10,000 seats.

Continental record

Season-by-season record

Players

First-team squad

Out on loan

Managerial history

Somchai Maiwilai Somchai Maiwilai (, born 27 June 1970) is a Thai football manager,Somchai Maiwilai
Goal.com< ...

Prapol Pongpanich Prapol Pongpanich (; 18 September 1952 – 3 February 2012) was a Thai football coach.Somchai Maiwilai Somchai Maiwilai (, born 27 June 1970) is a Thai football manager,Somchai Maiwilai
Goal.com< ...

Iván Palanco Iván Palanco Santiago (born 12 January 1980) is a Spanish football manager, who is the current assistant manager of Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Flamengo. Career Palanco played youth football for CE Mataró as a midfielder before being ...

* Ricardo Rodríguez *

Àlex Gómez Alejandro "Àlex" Gómez Comes, (born 8 October 1972) is a Spanish football manager. Before starting his senior coaching career in Hong Kong, he has held various positions the youth academy of FC Barcelona. Coaching career Born in L'Ametlla de ...

Josep Ferré Josep María Ferré Ybarz (born 26 November 1983), commonly known as Coco, is a Spanish football manager. He is currently the technical director of Philippine Football Federation and head coach of Philippines U19. Coaching career Ferré began ...

* Pacheta *

Christian Ziege Christian Ziege (; born 1 February 1972) is a German football manager and former player. He most recently coached FC Pinzgau. A defender, he started his playing career at FC Bayern Munich, where he won two Bundesliga titles and a UEFA Cup be ...

René Desaeyere René Desaeyere (born 14 September 1947) is a Belgian former football player and former manager of Muangthong United. Career Desaeyere played for Beerschot, Daring Club Bruxelles, Royal Antwerp, R.W.D. Molenbeek, Berchem Sport and Dess ...

* Lassaad Chabbi *

Manolo Márquez Manuel "Manolo" Márquez Roca (born 7 September 1968) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of the Indian national football team. Playing career Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Márquez rep ...

* Francesc Bosch *

Marco Simone Marco Simone (; born 7 January 1969) is an Italian professional football manager and former player. As a player, he was a striker and winger. He most prominently played for Milan, with whom he won four Serie A championships and two UEFA Ch ...

Somchai Maiwilai Somchai Maiwilai (, born 27 June 1970) is a Thai football manager,Somchai Maiwilai
Goal.com< ...

(caretaker) *

Nuengrutai Srathongvian Nuengrutai Srathongvian (; ; born 1 January 1972), also known as "Coach Nueng" (), is a Thai football manager and former footballer and field hockey player who is currently the manager of the Thailand women's national under-20 football team. Sp ...

* Chaitud Uamtham *

Somchai Maiwilai Somchai Maiwilai (, born 27 June 1970) is a Thai football manager,Somchai Maiwilai
Goal.com< ...

(caretaker) *

Miloš Joksić Miloš Joksić (; born 26 March 1968) is a Serbian football manager. Career In July 2012, Joksić resigned as manager of Phuket in Thailand. He later returned to Serbia and served as manager of Mladenovac in 2013. In June 2016, just a month afte ...

* Seksan Siripong *

Somchai Maiwilai Somchai Maiwilai (, born 27 June 1970) is a Thai football manager,Somchai Maiwilai
Goal.com< ...

* Bruno Pereira *

Xavi Moro Xavier 'Xavi' Moro León (born 22 May 1975) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of Thai League 1 club Chiangrai United. He was a Spanish footballer who played as a central midfiel ...

* Douglas Cardozo *

Carlos Peña Carlos Felipe Peña (born May 17, 1978) is a Dominican former professional baseball first baseman and current broadcaster. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, Tamp ...

* Surapong Kongthep *

Somchai Maiwilai Somchai Maiwilai (, born 27 June 1970) is a Thai football manager,Somchai Maiwilai
Goal.com< ...

(Interim) *

Worrawoot Srimaka Worrawoot Srimaka ( Thai: วรวุฒิ ศรีมะฆะ) is a Thai professional football manager and former player. who is the consultant and head coach of Thai League 1 club Ratchaburi. He was a striker who scored 29 goals for the Th ...

Honours

League

Thai Division 1 League Thai League 2 (), commonly known as the T2, formally called Thai Division 1 League, is the second-tier professional league in the Thai football league system. Seasons typically run from August to May, with each team playing 34 games : two agai ...

**Champions (1):

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

Regional League Division 2 Thai League 4 (), commonly known as the T4, was the fourth level association football league in Thailand. In 2009, it was divided into five groups by geographic region. Each group contained 16 clubs except for the Southern Region group which con ...

**Champions (1):

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

* Regional League Central-East Division **Champions (1):

Cups

* League Cup **Runners-up (1):

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...

**Winners (1):

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

**Runners-up (1):

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

References

External links

* {{Thai League 1 Thai League 1 clubs Thai FA Cup winners Association football clubs established in 2004 Football clubs in Thailand Sport in Ratchaburi province 2004 establishments in Thailand