Seongnam FC facts for kids
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| Full name | Seongnam Football Club 성남시민프로축구단 |
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| Nickname(s) | The Magpies | ||
| Short name | SFC | ||
| Founded | 18 March 1989 (as Ilhwa Chunma) |
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| Ground | Tancheon Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 16,146 | ||
| Owner | Seongnam City Council | ||
| Chairman | Shin Sang-jin (Mayor of Seongnam) | ||
| Manager | Jeon Kyung-jun | ||
| League | K League 2 | ||
| 2024 | K League 2, 13th of 13 | ||
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| Seongnam FC | |
| Hangul |
성남시민프로축구단
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| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Seongnam Simin Peuro Chukgudan |
| McCune–Reischauer | Sŏngnam Simin P'ŭro Ch'ukkudan |
Seongnam Football Club (Korean: 성남 FC) is a professional football team from Seongnam, South Korea. They play in the K League 2, which is the second-highest football league in South Korea. Seongnam FC is one of the most successful teams in South Korea and Asia. They have won the top Korean league (K League 1) seven times and the AFC Champions League twice.
Contents
Club History
The Early Years: Ilhwa Chunma (1989–2013)
How the Club Started
The idea for a professional football club began in 1975. The Tongil Group wanted to create a team. They finally got permission to start a club in Seoul in 1986.
The club officially started on March 18, 1989. It was named Ilhwa Chunma Football Club. This made them the sixth team to join the Korean Super League. The team signed six players, including Ko Jeong-woon. Park Jong-hwan became the first head coach. His contract was a big deal at the time.
Winning Early Trophies
The club quickly became very successful. They won their first League Cup in 1992. Then, they won the league title three years in a row, from 1993 to 1995. In 1995, other teams tried to stop their winning streak by changing the league rules. But Ilhwa Chunma still won the title.
In the same year, the club also won its first Asian title. They beat Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr in the final. This meant they won both the league and the Asian championship in one year.
Moving to Cheonan
In 1996, the club had to leave Seoul. This was because of a new rule to spread football teams across different cities. Ilhwa Chunma moved to Cheonan. The city promised to improve their stadium. The club also changed its name to Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma.
The team continued to do well, reaching the finals of the 1996–97 Asian Club Championship and the 1997 Korean FA Cup. However, from 1998, the team faced difficulties. Many key players left the club. The team finished last in the league for two seasons in a row (1998 and 1999). But on November 21, 1999, Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma won the 1999 Korean FA Cup. They beat Jeonbuk Hyundai Dinos 3-0 in the final.
Moving to Seongnam
In 2000, the club moved to Seongnam, a city near Seoul. They changed their name again to Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. This move brought new energy to the team. They won three K League titles in a row from 2001 to 2003. They also won a League Cup in 2002 and an A3 Champions Cup in 2004.
In 2004, they lost the ACL final to Al Ittihad from Saudi Arabia. This led to their manager leaving. Under a new manager, Kim Hak-bum, the team came back strong. They won their seventh league title in 2006. This was a record for K League clubs.
In 2007, Seongnam went undefeated for 22 league matches. This was one of the longest streaks in K League history. They finished first in the regular season but lost in the championship final.
Former player Shin Tae-yong became the manager in 2009. Seongnam continued to succeed. They won the 2010 AFC Champions League by beating Iranian team Zob Ahan 3-1 in the final. In 2011, Seongnam won another FA Cup trophy.
The Seongnam FC Era (2014–Present)
In October 2013, the mayor of Seongnam announced that the city council would take over the club. The team was renamed Seongnam FC. In December 2013, Seongnam City officially became the owner.
The club changed its symbol from the chunma (a mythical horse) to the magpie. The magpie is a symbol of Seongnam city. Their yellow uniforms were also changed to black. Their first manager, Park Jong-hwan, returned to lead the team.
Seongnam FC played their first home game under the new name on March 15, 2014. It was a 0–0 draw against FC Seoul. Their first win came on March 26, when they beat Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2–0. The manager, Park Jong-hwan, resigned the next month.
After some changes, Kim Hak-bum returned as manager. He had led the club during its successful years. His return was a great success. Seongnam not only avoided being moved to a lower league but also won their third FA Cup trophy. They beat FC Seoul in a penalty shoot-out.
In the 2016 season, Seongnam finished 11th. They were moved down to the second division for the first time in their history. This happened after they lost to Gangwon FC in a special playoff.
Nam Ki-il became the new manager in December 2017. He helped Seongnam FC get promoted back to the first division after just one season. Nam resigned in December 2019. Kim Nam-il was then appointed as the new manager.
In 2022, the club was moved down to K League 2 again. In the 2024 K League 2 season, the club finished last. However, they stayed in the league because there is no promotion or relegation between K League 2 and K3 League.
Club Facilities
The club has played its home games at Tancheon Sports Complex since 2005. This stadium is sometimes called "Tancheon Fortress." This nickname came from the team's strong home record in the AFC Champions League.
The modern Seongnam Football Center is the club's training ground. It was finished in December 2021. It cost a lot of money to build. It has a natural grass training field, a sauna, a weight room, and medical facilities.
Historical Stadiums
Before moving to Seongnam, the club played at the Cheonan Oryong Stadium when they were based in Cheonan. This stadium did not have floodlights. This meant games had to finish before it got dark.
Supporters and Rivalries
The main group of Seongnam supporters is called Black List. These fans have worked hard to protect the club. They have helped when there were rumors about the club leaving or closing down.
Seongnam's biggest rival team is Suwon Samsung Bluewings. Their matches are known as the Magyedaejeon.
Major Achievements
Seongnam FC has won many important titles:
Domestic Titles
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
International Titles
Asian
- Asian Club Championship/AFC Champions League Elite
- 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
Images for kids
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Seongnam manager and former player Shin Tae-yong in the 2010 AFC Champions League final.
See also
In Spanish: Seongnam Football Club para niños
