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| Full name | Suwon Samsung Bluewings Football Club 수원 삼성 블루윙즈 축구단 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | Cheong-Baek-Jeok Korean:청백적 (The Blue, White and Reds) Tricolor | |||
| Founded | 1995; 30 years ago (1995) | |||
| Ground | Suwon World Cup Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 44,031 | |||
| Owner | Cheil Worldwide | |||
| Chairman | Lee Jun | |||
| Head coach | Byun Sung-hwan | |||
| League | K League 2 | |||
| 2025 | K League 2, 2nd of 14 | |||
| Website | www | |||
| Active departments ofSamsung Sports | ||||||||||||
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| Defunct departments ofSamsung Sports | ||||||
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| Suwon Samsung Bluewings | |
| Hangul | 수원 삼성 블루윙즈 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 水原三星 블루윙즈 |
| Revised Romanization | Suwon Samseong Beulluwingjeu |
| McCune–Reischauer | Suwŏn Samsŏng Pŭlluwingjŭ |
TheSuwon Samsung Bluewings (Korean:수원 삼성 블루윙즈) are a South Koreanfootball club based inSuwon that competes in theK League 2, the second tier of South Korean football. Founded in December 1995, they have won theK League on four occasions (1998,1999,2004 and2008), as well as theAsian Club Championship twice, in2000–01 and2001–02.
The club was formally founded on 15 December 1995 bySamsung Electronics, becoming the ninth member of theK League from the1996 season.[1] 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.
FormerSouth Korean national team managerKim 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 in1998 and retained in1999 as Suwon started to dominate Korean football.[2]
Suwon lifted theAsian Club Championship twice in succession in2000–01 and2001–02, and also added theAsian Super Cup to their roll of honors on two occasions.
In the 2002 season, Suwon also won theKorean FA Cup for the first time, achieving a continentaldouble.
The departure of Kim Ho in 2003 saw Korean football legendCha Bum-kun appointed manager ahead of the2004 season, and the club won its third league title in his debut season as manager.[3]
Suwon finished runners-up in both major domestic competitions in 2006, asSeongnam Ilhwa Chunma claimed victory in the K-League championship play-off final andChunnam 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 theK League Championship and theLeague Cup.[4]
After the appointment of coachSeo 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 toCheil Worldwide, a Samsung affiliate.[5] 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."[6]
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 the2014 and2015 seasons, as well as reaching the semi-finals of the2018 AFC Champions League. Suwon's last major honour came in 2019, winning theKorean FA Cup and qualifying for the2020 AFC Champions League.[7]
Major financial changes at the club led to poor results, and in the 2023 season, the club was relegated to the second-tierK League 2 for the first time in its history after finishing last.[8][9]
The current crest has been used by the Bluewings since 2008. It depicts theHwaseong Fortress, aUNESCO 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 sky [sic] of world football.
The Bluewings' colours are blue, red and white. Blue is the colour ofSamsung and also symbolises youth and hope. Red is the symbol of bravery, passion, challenge, vitality and dynamism. White represents benevolence, purity and fair play.
The Suwon Samsung Bluewings used the 11,808-seatSuwon Sports Complex as their home stadium from 1995 through 2001.
Samsung began building theSuwon World Cup Stadium, the current home of the Bluewings, in 1996, but construction stopped in 1998 due to the1997 Asian financial crisis. With the support of the city of Suwon andGyeonggi Province, the stadium was completed in May 2001. It was used as a venue for the2002 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 inDongtan, a district ofHwaseong.
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.[10]
The club's official theme song is "My Love, My Suwon" by the South Korean punk rock bandNo Brain. It is based on the song "Little Baby", released in 2003, and Suwon fans sang it by changing the lyrics.[11][12]
The club shares its most fierce rivalry withFC Seoul in a derby dubbed theSuper Match. The origins of the derby comes from when FC Seoul was based in the city ofAnyang, where its previous parent companyLG 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 toSeoul.[13] The derby now represents a rivalry between Seoul, the largest city in South Korea, and Suwon, the capital ofGyeonggi Province, the most populous administrative unit in South Korea that surrounds Seoul.
The club also shares rivalries with other major clubs in theSeoul Capital Area, including cross-townSuwon FC (Suwon Derby),FC Anyang (Jijidae Derby),Incheon United (Suin Derby), andSeongnam FC (Magye Derby), althoughits rivalry with Seongnam has weakened since Seongnam has declined as a major force in the K League.[14]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Year | Captains | Vice-captain(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 |  Kim Doo-ham | Yoon Sung-hyo |
| 1997 | Shin Sung-hwan | |
| 1998 | Jung Sung-hoon | |
| 1999 | Shin Hong-gi | |
| 2000 | ||
| 2001 | Park Kun-ha | |
| 2002 | Seo Jung-won | |
| 2003 | Kim Jin-woo | Lee Woon-jae |
| 2004 | Lee Byung-keun | Kim Young-sun |
| 2005 | Choi Sung-yong | Kim Dae-eui |
| 2006 | Kim Nam-il | Cho Jae-min |
| 2007 | Lee Kwan-woo | Lee Jung-soo |
| 2008 | Song Chong-gug | Kwak Hee-ju |
| 2009 | Lee Woon-jae | Hong Soon-hak |
| 2010 | Cho Won-hee | Kim Dae-eui |
| 2011 | Choi Sung-kuk | Yeom Ki-hun |
| 2012 | Kwak Hee-ju | Oh Beom-seok |
| 2013 | Kim Do-heon | Oh Jang-eun |
| 2014 | Yeom Ki-hun | |
| 2015 | Kim Eun-sun | |
| 2016 | Hong Chul,Shin Se-gye | |
| 2017 | Koo Ja-ryong,Lee Jong-sung | |
| 2018 | Kim Eun-sun | |
| 2019 | Yeom Ki-hun | Choi Sung-keun,Hong Chul |
| 2020 | Choi Sung-keun,Kim Min-woo | |
| 2021 | Kim Min-woo | Min Sang-gi |
| 2022 | Min Sang-gi | Choi Sung-keun |
| 2023 | Lee Ki-je | Ko Seung-beom |
| 2024 | Yang Hyung-mo |  Kazuki Kozuka,Lee Jong-sung |
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)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.[17]
Lee Woon-jae (1996–2011)Park Kun-ha (1996–2006)Choi Sung-yong (2002–2006)Lee Byung-keun (1996–2006)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)Nádson (2003–2008)
Saša Drakulić (1998–2000)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.[18]
Lee Woon-jae (1996–2011)Choi Sung-yong (2002–2006)
Mato Neretljak (2005–2008, 2011)Lee Byung-keun (1996–2006)Kwak Hee-ju (2003–2013, 2015–2016)Denis Laktionov (1996–2003, 2006–2007)Ko Jong-soo (1996–2004)Kim Jin-woo (1996–2007)Seo Jung-won (1999–2004)Park Kun-ha (1996–2006)Nádson (2003–2008)
| Season | Division | Teams | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | League Cup | Korean Cup | Super Cup | AFC | Other | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1 | 9 | Runners-up | 32 | 18 | 9 | 5 | 57 | 33 | +24 | 63 | 6th (A) | Runners-up | Kim Ho | |||
| 1997 | 10 | 5th | 18 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 28 | 6th (A) 3rd (P) | Quarter-final | Runners-up (CW) | Kim Ho | |||
| 1998 | 10 | Champions | 20 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 34 | 22 | +12 | 35 | 6th (A) 4th (PM) | Quarter-final | Kim Ho | ||||
| 1999 | 10 | Champions | 29 | 23 | 0 | 6 | 60 | 26 | +34 | 64 | Winners (A) Winners (D) | First round | Winners | 4th (CC) | Kim Ho | ||
| 2000 | 10 | 5th | 27 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 48 | 43 | +5 | 36 | Winners (A) 8th (D) | Quarter-final | Winners | Kim Ho | |||
| 2001 | 10 | 3rd | 27 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 40 | 35 | +5 | 41 | Winners (A) | First round | Champions (CC) Winners (SC) | Kim Ho | |||
| 2002 | 10 | 3rd | 27 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 40 | 26 | +14 | 45 | 4th (A) | Winners | Champions (CC) Winners (SC) | Kim Ho | |||
| 2003 | 12 | 3rd | 44 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 59 | 46 | +13 | 72 | No competition | Round of 32 | No competition | Kim Ho | |||
| 2004 | 13 | Champions | 27 | 14 | 6 | 7 | 32 | 24 | +8 | 46 | 4th (S) | Round of 16 | Cha Bum-kun | ||||
| 2005 | 13 | 10th | 24 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 29 | 32 | –3 | 28 | Winners (S) | Round of 16 | Winners | Winners (A3) Group E 2nd (CL) | Cha Bum-kun | ||
| 2006 | 14 | Runners-up | 29 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 31 | 25 | +6 | 46 | 12th (S) | Runners-up | Cha Bum-kun | ||||
| 2007 | 14 | 3rd | 27 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 36 | 25 | +11 | 51 | Semi-final (S) | Round of 16 | Competition ceased | Cha Bum-kun | |||
| 2008 | 14 | Champions | 28 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 49 | 26 | +23 | 58 | Winners (S) | Round of 16 | Cha Bum-kun | ||||
| 2009 | 15 | 10th | 28 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 29 | 32 | –3 | 32 | Quarter-final (PK) | Winners | Round of 16 (CL) | Winners (PP) | Cha Bum-kun | ||
| 2010 | 15 | 7th | 28 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 39 | 44 | –5 | 41 | Semi-final (PC) | Winners | Quarter-final (CL) | Runners-up (ST) | Cha Bum-kunYoon Sung-hyo | ||
| 2011 | 16 | 4th | 30 | 17 | 4 | 9 | 51 | 33 | +18 | 55 | Semi-final (RC) | Runners-up | Semi-final (CL) | Yoon Sung-hyo | |||
| 2012 | 16 | 4th | 44 | 20 | 13 | 11 | 61 | 51 | +10 | 73 | Competition ceased | Quarter-final | Yoon Sung-hyo | ||||
| 2013 | 14 | 5th | 38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 50 | 43 | +7 | 53 | Round of 16 | Group H, 4th (CL) | Seo Jung-won | ||||
| 2014 | 12 | Runners-up | 38 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 52 | 37 | +15 | 67 | Round of 32 | Seo Jung-won | |||||
| 2015 | 12 | Runners-up | 38 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 60 | 43 | +17 | 67 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 (CL) | Seo Jung-won | ||||
| 2016 | 12 | 7th | 38 | 10 | 18 | 10 | 56 | 59 | –3 | 48 | Winners | Group G, 3rd (CL) | Seo Jung-won | ||||
| 2017 | 12 | 3rd | 38 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 63 | 41 | +22 | 64 | Semi-final | Group G, 3rd (CL) | Seo Jung-won | ||||
| 2018 | 12 | 6th | 38 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 53 | 54 | –1 | 50 | Semi-final | Semi-final (CL) | Seo Jung-wonLee Byung-keun (C) Seo Jung-won | ||||
| 2019 | 12 | 8th | 38 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 46 | 49 | –3 | 48 | Winners | Lee Lim-saeng | |||||
| 2020 | 12 | 8th | 27 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 27 | 30 | –3 | 31 | Quarter-final | Quarter-final (CL) | Lee Lim-saengJu Seung-jin (C)Park Kun-ha | ||||
| 2021 | 12 | 6th | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 42 | 50 | –8 | 46 | Quarter-final | Park Kun-ha | |||||
| 2022 | 12 | 10th | 38 | 11 | 11 | 16 | 44 | 49 | –5 | 44 | Quarter-final | Park Kun-ha Lee Byung-keun | |||||
| 2023 | 12 | 12th | 38 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 35 | 57 | –22 | 33 | Quarter-final | Lee Byung-keunChoi Sung-yong (C)Kim Byung-sooYeom Ki-hun (C) | |||||
| 2024 | 2 | 13 | 6th | 36 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 46 | 35 | +11 | 56 | Round of 16 | Yeom Ki-hunByun Sung-hwan | ||||
| 2025 | 14 | 2nd | 39 | 20 | 12 | 7 | 76 | 50 | +26 | 72 | Third round | Byun Sung-hwan |
All results (home and away) list Suwon's goal tally first.
| Season | Round | Opposition | Home | Away | Agg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Group E |  Hoang Anh Gia Lai | 6–0 | 5–1 | 2nd |
 Shenzhen Jianlibao | 0–0 | 0–1 | |||
| Júbilo Iwata | 2–1 | 1–0 | |||
| 2009 | Group G | Kashima Antlers | 4–1 | 0–3 | 2nd |
 Singapore Armed Forces | 3–1 | 2–0 | |||
| Shanghai Shenhua | 2–1 | 1–2 | |||
| Round of 16 | Nagoya Grampus | — | 1–2 | — | |
| 2010 | Group G | Gamba Osaka | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1st |
| Singapore Armed Forces | 6–2 | 2–0 | |||
| Henan Jianye | 2–0 | 2–0 | |||
| Round of 16 | Beijing Guoan | 2–0 | — | — | |
| Quarter-final | Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma | 2–0 | 1–4 | 3–4 | |
| 2011 | Group H |  Sydney FC | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1st |
| Shanghai Shenhua | 4–0 | 3–0 | |||
| Kashima Antlers | 1–1 | 1–1 | |||
| Round of 16 | Nagoya Grampus | 2–0 | — | — | |
| Quarter-final |  Zob Ahan | 1–1 | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | 3–2 | |
| Semi-final |  Al-Sadd | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | |
| 2013 | Group H | Central Coast Mariners | 0–1 | 0–0 | 4th |
| Guizhou Renhe | 0–0 | 2–2 | |||
| Kashiwa Reysol | 2–6 | 0–0 | |||
| 2015 | Group G | Urawa Red Diamonds | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2nd |
| Beijing Guoan | 1–1 | 0–1 | |||
| Brisbane Roar | 3–1 | 3–3 | |||
| Round of 16 | Kashiwa Reysol | 2–3 | 2–1 | 4–4 (a) | |
| 2016 | Group G | Gamba Osaka | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3rd |
| Shanghai SIPG | 3–0 | 1–2 | |||
| Melbourne Victory | 1–1 | 0–0 | |||
| 2017 | Group G | Kawasaki Frontale | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3rd |
| Guangzhou Evergrande | 2–2 | 2–2 | |||
 Eastern | 5–0 | 1–0 | |||
| 2018 | Play-off | Thanh Hóa | 5–1 | — | — |
| Group H | Sydney FC | 1–4 | 2–0 | 1st | |
| Kashima Antlers | 1–2 | 1–0 | |||
| Shanghai Shenhua | 1–1 | 2–0 | |||
| Round of 16 | Ulsan Hyundai | 3–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | |
| Quarter-final | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 0–3 (a.e.t.) | 3–0 | 3–3 (4–2p) | |
| Semi-final | Kashima Antlers | 3–3 | 2–3 | 5–6 | |
| 2020 | Group G | Guangzhou Evergrande | 0–0[a] | 1–1[a] | 2nd |
| Vissel Kobe | 0–1 | 2–0[a] | |||
| Round of 16 | Yokohama F. Marinos | 3–2[a] | — | ||
| Quarter-final | Vissel Kobe | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (6–7p)[a] | — | ||
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The following players have won awards while at Suwon Samsung Bluewings:
Domestic
Ko Jong-soo (1998)Nádson (2004)Lee Woon-jae (2008)Saša Drakulić (1999)Sandro (2004)Natanael Santos (2014)Johnathan (2017)Adam Taggart (2019)Denis Laktionov (1999)Yeom Ki-hun (2015, 2016)Lee Ki-je (2022)
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)Park Kun-ha (1996)Ha Tae-kyun (2007)Seo Jung-won (2002)Lee Woon-jae (2009)Yeom Ki-hun (2010, 2016)Ko Seung-beom (2019)Denis Laktionov (1996)Yeom Ki-hun (2019)International
José Mota (2010)Zoltan Sabo (2000–01)
Dejan Damjanović (2018)Nádson (2005)Nádson (2005)The following players have represented their country at theFIFA World Cup whilst playing for Suwon Samsung Bluewings:
The following players have represented their country at theSummer Olympic Games whilst playing for Suwon Samsung Bluewings:
| No. | Name | From | To | Season(s) | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kim Ho | 22 February 1995 | October 2003 | 1996–2003 | 1998 K League 1999 K League 2000–01 Asian Club Championship 2001–02 Asian Club Championship 2002 Korean FA Cup |
2 | Cha Bum-kun | 17 October 2003 | 6 June 2010 | 2004–2010 | 2004 K League 2008 K League 2009 Korean FA Cup |
3 | Yoon Sung-hyo | 15 June 2010 | 12 December 2012 | 2010–2012 | 2010 Korean FA Cup |
4 | Seo Jung-won | 12 December 2012 15 October 2018 | 28 August 2018 2 December 2018 | 2013–2018 2018 | 2016 Korean FA Cup |
| C | Lee Byung-keun | 28 August 2018 | 15 October 2018 | 2018 | |
5 | Lee Lim-saeng | 3 December 2018 | 17 July 2020 | 2019–2020 | 2019 Korean FA Cup |
| C | Ju Seung-jin | 17 July 2020 | 8 September 2020 | 2020 | |
6 | Park Kun-ha | 8 September 2020 | 15 April 2022[19] | 2020–2022 | |
7 | Lee Byung-keun | 18 April 2022 | 17 April 2023[20] | 2022–2023 | |
| C | Choi Sung-yong | 18 April 2023[21] | 5 May 2023 | 2023 | |
8 | Kim Byung-soo | 6 May 2023[22] | 26 September 2023[23] | 2023 | |
| C | Yeom Ki-hun | 26 September 2023[24] | 2 December 2023 | 2023 | |
| 9 | Yeom Ki-hun | 9 January 2024 | 25 May 2024 | 2024 | |
| 10 | Byun Sung-hwan | 31 May 2024 | present | 2024– |
Kim will take the helm at the Bluewings, who currently have two draws and eight losses on the season, on Saturday, after the club's Friday game against Incheon United.
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