Suwon Samsung Bluewings facts for kids
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| Full name | Suwon Samsung Bluewings Football Club 수원 삼성 블루윙즈 축구단 |
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| Nickname(s) | Cheong-Baek-Jeok Korean: 청백적 (The Blue, White and Reds) Tricolor |
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| Founded | 1995 | |||
| Ground | Suwon World Cup Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 44,031 | |||
| Owner | Cheil Worldwide | |||
| Chairman | Lee Jun | |||
| Head coach | Byun Sung-hwan | |||
| League | K League 2 | |||
| 2024 | K League 2, 6th of 13 | |||
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| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | |
| Hangul |
수원 삼성 블루윙즈
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|---|---|
| Hanja |
水原三星 블루윙즈
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| Revised Romanization | Suwon Samseong Beulluwingjeu |
| McCune–Reischauer | Suwŏn Samsŏng Pŭlluwingjŭ |
The Suwon Samsung Bluewings (Korean: 수원 삼성 블루윙즈 FC) is a professional football club from Suwon, South Korea. They play in the K League 2, which is the second-highest football league in South Korea.
The club was started in December 1995. Over the years, they have won the top Korean league, the K League, four times. They also won the Asian Club Championship twice, which is a big competition for clubs in Asia.
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Club History
The Suwon Samsung Bluewings club was officially created on December 15, 1995, by Samsung Electronics. They were the ninth team to join the K League for the 1996 season. Suwon was special because it was the first club to be based in one specific city. This idea helped other K-League clubs connect more with their local communities.
Kim Ho, a former manager of the South Korean national team, became the club's first manager. In their very first season, they finished as runners-up in the championship play-off. Suwon then won the championship in 1998 and again in 1999, showing they were a strong team in Korean football.
The Bluewings also became champions of Asia, winning the Asian Club Championship two times in a row in 2000–01 and 2001–02. They also won the Asian Super Cup twice. In 2002, Suwon won the Korean FA Cup for the first time, which meant they won two major titles that year.
In 2003, Kim Ho left, and Korean football legend Cha Bum-kun became the new manager for the 2004 season. In his first year, the club won its third league title. In 2006, Suwon finished second in both the K-League championship and the FA Cup.
The 2008 season was one of the best for the club. Suwon won both the K League Championship and the League Cup, achieving a "domestic double."
After Seo Jung-won became coach in 2013, the team started to manage its money more carefully. They wanted to rely less on Samsung Electronics and earn more of their own money. Eventually, the club's ownership moved to Cheil Worldwide, another Samsung company. This change helped the team become more self-sufficient.
Even though they didn't win more league or Asian titles for a while, Suwon remained a strong team. They finished as K League runners-up in 2014 and 2015. They also reached the semi-finals of the 2018 AFC Champions League. Suwon's most recent big win was in 2019, when they won the Korean FA Cup.
However, big financial changes led to some tough times. In the 2023 season, the club finished last in the top league and was moved down to the second-tier K League 2 for the first time ever.
Team Look: Crest and Colours
Crest
The Bluewings have used their current team badge since 2008. It shows the Hwaseong Fortress, which is a famous UNESCO World Heritage Site in Suwon city. The wing at the top of the badge is from the club's very first logo. It means they want to reach the top of world football.
Colours
The team's main colours are blue, red, and white.
- Blue is the colour of Samsung and also stands for youth and hope.
- Red represents bravery, passion, challenge, and energy.
- White means kindness, purity, and fair play.
Home Stadium
The Suwon Samsung Bluewings first played their home games at the Suwon Sports Complex from 1995 to 2001.
Samsung started building the Suwon World Cup Stadium, the Bluewings' current home, in 1996. Construction stopped for a while in 1998 because of a financial crisis. But with help from the city of Suwon and Gyeonggi Province, the stadium was finished in May 2001. It was even used for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Fans sometimes call the stadium the "Big Bird" because of its roof shape.
The Bluewings' training ground, where the players practice, is in Dongtan, a part of Hwaseong.
Fans and Rivalries
Frente Tricolor (청백적 전선, 靑白赤 戰線) is the official fan group for the Suwon Samsung Bluewings. They are known for their strong support, especially during games against their main rivals. Sometimes, this passion has led to arguments between fans.
The club's official theme song is "My Love, My Suwon" by the South Korean punk rock band No Brain. It's based on their song "Little Baby" from 2003, and Suwon fans changed the words to make it their own.
The Bluewings have their biggest rivalry with FC Seoul. This match is called the Super Match. The rivalry began when FC Seoul was based in Anyang, where LG (Samsung's rival company) had a big presence. So, it was a rivalry between cities and between two huge electronics companies. Even after FC Seoul moved to Seoul, the rivalry continued. Now, it's a match between Seoul, the biggest city in South Korea, and Suwon, the capital of Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul.
The club also has rivalries with other teams in the Seoul Capital Area. These include cross-town team Suwon FC (the Suwon Derby), FC Anyang (the Jijidae Derby), Incheon United (the Suin Derby), and Seongnam FC (the Magye Derby). The rivalry with Seongnam has become less intense as Seongnam's performance in the K League has changed.
Players
Club Captains
Many great players have been captains for the Suwon Samsung Bluewings over the years. Some notable captains include Shin Hong-gi, Park Kun-ha, Lee Woon-jae, and Yeom Ki-hun. Yeom Ki-hun was captain for many seasons and is also the club's all-time top goalscorer and most-capped player. In 2024, Yang Hyung-mo is the team captain.
Notable Players
Over its history, Suwon Samsung Bluewings has had many famous players. Some of these players are part of the club's "Hall of Fame" because of their amazing contributions. These include Korean stars like Seo Jung-won, Park Kun-ha, Lee Woon-jae, and Yeom Ki-hun. The club has also had talented international players like Denis Laktionov from Russia and Nádson from Brazil.
Fans have voted for the "Greatest Ever Team" on the club's 10th and 20th anniversaries. Players like goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, defenders Park Kun-ha and Lee Byung-keun, midfielders Ko Jong-soo and Seo Jung-won, and forwards Nádson and Saša Drakulić were often chosen by fans as the best in the club's history.
Award Winners
Many Suwon players have won important awards.
- The K League MVP Award has been won by Suwon players like Ko Jong-soo (1998), Nádson (2004), and Lee Woon-jae (2008).
- The K League Top Scorer Award has gone to players like Saša Drakulić (1999), Sandro (2004), Natanael Santos (2014), Johnathan (2017), and Adam Taggart (2019).
- For assists, Denis Laktionov (1999), Yeom Ki-hun (2015, 2016), and Lee Ki-je (2022) have won the K League Top Assists Award.
- The K League Best XI (a team of the best players each season) has included many Bluewings players over the years.
- The K League Young Player of the Year award was won by Park Kun-ha (1996) and Ha Tae-kyun (2007).
- In the Korean FA Cup, players like Seo Jung-won (2002), Lee Woon-jae (2009), Yeom Ki-hun (2010, 2016), and Ko Seung-beom (2019) have been named MVP.
Suwon players have also won international awards, such as José Mota being the Top Scorer in 2010, and Zoltan Sabo winning the MVP Award in 2000–01.
Club Achievements
The Suwon Samsung Bluewings have won many trophies, both in Korea and in Asia.
Domestic Trophies
- 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 Trophies
- 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
Managers
The Suwon Samsung Bluewings have had several managers throughout their history.
- The first manager was Kim Ho, who led the team from 1995 to 2003. He helped the club win their first two K League titles and two Asian Club Championships.
- After him, Korean football legend Cha Bum-kun took over in 2003 and managed until 2010. Under his leadership, Suwon won two more K League titles and an FA Cup.
- Other managers like Yoon Sung-hyo and Seo Jung-won also led the team to FA Cup victories.
- The current head coach, Byun Sung-hwan, took charge in May 2024.
See also
In Spanish: Suwon Samsung Bluewings Football Club para niños
