Suwon Samsung Bluewings

The Suwon Samsung Bluewings () 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 formally founded on 15 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.

After 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 reliance on 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."

Despite failing to win another domestic or continental title, the club continued to be a force in South Korea and Asia, finishing as K League runners-up in the 2014 and 2015 seasons, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 AFC Champions League. Suwon's last major honour came in 2019, winning the Korean FA Cup and qualifying for the 2020 AFC Champions League.

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 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.

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

Frente Tricolor (청백적 전선, 靑白赤 戰線) 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

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)
: 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.
* 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 Cup
CW – 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

References

External links

*

FIFA.com – Classic Club: Suwon Samsung Bluewings
(archived 14 November 2009)

{{Samsung

Association football clubs established in 1995
K League 1 clubs
K League 2 clubs
Sport in Suwon
Cheil Worldwide
Samsung Sports
1995 establishments in South Korea
Works association football clubs in South Korea
AFC Champions League Elite winning clubs
Asian Super Cup winning clubs