Pohang Steelers facts for kids
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| Full name | Football Club Pohang Steelers 포항 스틸러스 프로축구단 |
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| Founded | 1 April 1973 (as POSCO FC) |
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| Ground | Pohang Steel Yard | ||
| Capacity | 17,443 | ||
| Owner | POSCO | ||
| Chairman | Shin Young-gwon | ||
| Manager | Park Tae-ha | ||
| League | K League 1 | ||
| 2023 | K League 1, 2nd of 12 | ||
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The Pohang Steelers (in Korean: 포항 스틸러스) is a professional football team from Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. They play in the K League 1, which is the top football league in South Korea. The club started on April 1, 1973, as POSCO FC. It was named after the steel company POSCO, which still owns the team today. The Steelers are one of South Korea's most successful teams. They have won the K League five times and the AFC Champions League three times.
Contents
The Story of Pohang Steelers
The Pohang Steelers football club began on April 1, 1973. It was first known as Pohang Iron & Steel Company FC, or just POSCO FC. At first, it was a semi-professional team. This means some players were paid, but not as much as full professionals.
Becoming a Professional Team
In 1984, the club became fully professional. They changed their name to POSCO Dolphins. A year later, they changed it again to POSCO Atoms. In 1986, they won their first league championship. The team was very strong between 1985 and 1998. During this time, they always finished in the top four of the K League.
In 1995, the club changed its name once more to Pohang Atoms. This was to connect more with the local area. Finally, in 1997, they got their current name, the Pohang Steelers. The team won the Asian Champions Cup in 1997 and again in 1998. This was a huge achievement for them.
Challenges and Triumphs in the 2000s
In the early 2000s, the team faced some tough times. They were often at the bottom of the league table. But they worked hard and bounced back! In 2004, they won the first part of the 2004 K League Championship. They made it to the final championship match of the 2004 season. However, they lost to Suwon Samsung Bluewings in a penalty shootout.
In 2007, the Steelers won the Championship play-off. They beat Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, who had finished first in the regular season. Pohang won the first game 3–1 at home. Then, they won the second game 1–0 away. This gave them a total score of 4–1. They had finished fifth in the regular season. But they beat many strong teams in the play-offs to win the championship.
The team also did well in the 2008 Korean FA Cup in 2008. They won the FA Cup by beating Gyeongnam FC in the final. This win helped them qualify for the 2009 AFC Champions League.
Winning the AFC Champions League
In the 2009 AFC Champions League, the Steelers were amazing. They beat Umm-Salal of Qatar 4–1 in the semi-finals. This sent them to their first ever AFC Champions League final. In the final, they played against Saudi club Al-Ittihad. Pohang won 2–1 at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan. This made them champions of Asia!
After the 2009 K League season, the Steelers played in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup in December. They finished in third place. They beat Mexican team Atlante 4–3 in a penalty shootout.
Team Kits and Uniforms
Over the years, the Pohang Steelers have worn different uniforms. In 1994, the POSCO Atoms wore a green kit. They also had a white kit with a colorful sun design. In 1997, the Pohang Steelers wore a white shirt with black stripes and black shorts.
By 2000, their main uniform was a sky blue shirt with white shorts. Their away uniform was a black and red striped shirt with black shorts. This is similar to what they wear today! In 2002, the uniform was red with a black "V" shape on the chest.
Who Makes Their Kits?
Many different companies have made the Pohang Steelers' uniforms over the years. Here is a list of some of them:
| Kit supplier | Period |
|---|---|
| Adidas | 1984–1987, 1990–1992 |
| Prospecs | 1987–1989, 1993–1995 |
| Adidas | 1996–2001 |
| Diadora | 2002 |
| Puma | 2003–2005 |
| Kappa | 2006–2012 |
| Atemi | 2013–2014 |
| Hummel | 2015–2016 |
| Astore | 2017–2020 |
| Puma | 2021–present |
Meet the Current Team
Here are the players who are currently part of the Pohang Steelers squad:
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Players on Loan
Sometimes players go to other teams for a while. This is called being "on loan."
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Pohang Steelers' Trophies and Wins
The Pohang Steelers have won many important competitions. Here are their main achievements:
Wins in South Korea
League Championships
- K League 1
- Winners (5): 1986, 1988, 1992, 2007, 2013
- Runners-up (5): 1985, 1987, 1995, 2004, 2023
- Korean National Semi-Professional Football League
- Winners (5): 1975 Spring, 1981 Fall, 1982, 1986 Fall, 1988 Fall
- Runners-up (2): 1977, 1989 Spring
Cup Wins
- FA Cup
- Winners (5): 1996, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2023
- Runners-up (3): 2001, 2002, 2007
- League Cup
- Winners (2): 1993, 2009
- Runners-up (2): 1996, 1997s
- President's Cup
- Winners (1): 1974
- Runners-up (1): 1989
International Wins
Continental Competitions
- AFC Champions League
- Winners (3): 1996–97, 1997–98, 2009
- Runners-up (1): 2021
- Asian Super Cup
- Runners-up (2): 1997, 1998
Worldwide Competitions
- FIFA Club World Cup
- Third place (1): 2009
Who Has Managed the Team?
A football manager is like a coach and leader for the team. Here are the people who have managed the Pohang Steelers:
| No. | Manager | Period | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Han Hong-ki |
2 May 1973 – 29 November 1984 | |
| 2 | Choi Eun-taek |
29 November 1984 – 16 December 1986 | 1986 K League |
| 3 | Lee Hoe-taik |
16 December 1986 – 31 December 1992 | 1988 K League, 1992 K League |
| C | Kim Soon-ki Kim Chul-soo |
1989 | |
| C | Cho Yoon-ok |
1989–1990 | |
| 4 | Huh Jung-moo |
1993 – 25 November 1995 | 1993 League Cup |
| C | Kim Soon-ki |
1994 | |
| 5 | Park Sung-hwa |
12 December 1995 – 31 July 2000 | 1996 FA Cup, 1996–97 Asian Club Championship, 1997–98 Asian Club Championship |
| 6 | Choi Soon-ho |
1 August 2000 – 5 December 2004 | |
| 7 |  Sérgio Farias |
6 January 2005 – 20 December 2009 | 2007 K League, 2008 FA Cup, 2009 League Cup, 2009 AFC Champions League |
| 8 | Waldemar Lemos |
8 January – 10 May 2010 | |
| C | Park Chang-hyun |
11 May – 7 November 2010 | |
| 9 | Hwang Sun-hong |
13 December 2010 – 29 November 2015 | 2012 FA Cup, 2013 FA Cup, 2013 K League |
| 10 | Choi Jin-cheul |
28 December 2015 – 24 September 2016 | |
| 11 | Choi Soon-ho |
26 September 2016 – 22 April 2019 | |
| 12 | Kim Gi-dong |
23 April 2019 – 14 December 2023 | 2023 FA Cup |
| 13 | Park Tae-ha |
15 December 2023 – present |
- Names in italics mean they were a temporary manager.
See also
In Spanish: Football Club Pohang Steelers para niños
- List of football clubs in South Korea
