 | |||
| Full name | Busan IPark Football Club 부산 아이파크 축구단 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 22 November 1979; 45 years ago (22 November 1979) | ||
| Ground | Busan Gudeok Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 12,349 | ||
| Owner | HDC Hyundai Development Company (affiliated with HDC Group) | ||
| Chairman | Chung Mong-gyu | ||
| Manager | Jo Sung-hwan | ||
| League | K League 2 | ||
| 2024 | K League 2, 5th of 13 | ||
| Website | busanipark.com | ||
Busan IPark FC (Korean:부산 아이파크 FC) is a South Korean professionalfootball club based inBusan that competes inK League 2, the second tier of theSouth Korean football pyramid. They play their home games at theBusan Gudeok Stadium.
Busan IPark was founded as a semi-professional team in November 1979 bySaehan Motors. The club was one of the original five founding members of theK League and continuously competed in the first division from 1983 to 2015, when they were relegated for the first time. Initially, the club was called Daewoo Royals, in reference to themotor company that originally owned and financed it. Since the early 2000s, Busan has received financial backing from the HDC Group and its apartment brandIPARK, rebranding as Pusan i.cons and later as Busan IPark.
After topping the league for most of the1983 season, Daewoo finished second in their debut season, losing the title by one point toHallelujah FC after a goalless draw againstYukong Elephants in the Masan Series. In its second season, the club turned professional, renamed as Daewoo Royals, and clinched its first league title after defeating Yukong Elephants by an aggregate score of 2–1 in the1984 K League Championship playoff.[1]
Daewoo Royals headed into the1986 K League season as continental champions after clinching the1985–86 Asian Club Championship, becoming the first South Korean side to accomplish this feat after defeatingAl-Ahli 3–1 afterextra time inJeddah, Saudi Arabia. Despite the continental success, the team suffered a poor season and failed to reach the1986 K League Championship playoff after finishing fourth in the first round of the league and third in the second.
The Royals clinched their second league title after finishing atop the league with 46 points in the1987 season. They won their third title in1991 after finishing ten points clear of their nearest rivals that season, Hyundai Horang-i. The Royals' momentum didn't last as the club struggled in subsequent seasons, finishing at or near the bottom of the league.
At the end of the1995 season, K League sides began the process of "localizing", and the club became known as Pusan Daewoo Royals (Korean:부산 대우 로얄즈) in reference to its city of residence. In1997, they won their fourth league title, becoming the first team to win the K League Championship four times.
Although the1998 season marked the emergence of a forwardAhn Jung-hwan, the Royals finished mid-table. The club did however manage to qualify for the1999 K League Championship playoffs after finishing fourth in the regular season. During the playoffs, the Royals managed to knock outChunnam Dragons andBucheon SK to secure the right to face the defending champions,Suwon Samsung Bluewings, but lost in the final 4–2 on aggregate.[2]
As a company-owned club, the Royals' success was invariably linked to the health and success of its owner,Daewoo Corporation. In the early 2000s, the company parted ways with its once-successful sports franchise due tomajor financial problems that had accumulated since the late 1990s. IPark Construction, the domestic construction division ofHyundai, secured ownership of the club and acquired all of its history and records. The new owners not only renamed the club as Pusan i.cons, but also changed the club's home colours from blue to red and relocated the club fromBusan Gudeok Stadium toBusan Asiad Stadium.
Under new ownership, the club rarely challenged for the title, finishing mid-table or near bottom of the league in the 2000s. Aside from winning theKorean FA Cup for the first time in the club's history in 2004 under the guidance of Scottish managerIan Porterfield (defeating Bucheon SK in apenalty shoot-out), the trophy cabinet remained largely empty.
On the onset of the 2005 season, the owners changed the club's name to Busan I'Park (currently Busan IPark). After winning the first round, Porterfield's Busan side reached the2005 K-League Championship play-offs, but lost to a traditionally lightweight, but then-inspiredIncheon United side led byChang Woe-ryong.
For the 2008 season,Hwang Sun-hong took over as manager. Although Busan did not win any silverware during his tenure, he did manage to bring in players such asKim Chang-soo,Jeong Shung-hoon,Yang Dong-hyun andKim Geun-chul while injecting the team with much needed youth by giving prospects such asHan Sang-woon,Park Hee-do, andPark Jong-woo first team opportunities. In his final season in charge of Busan, Hwang managed to lead his side to the2010 Korean FA Cup final.
For the 2011 season, the board appointedAn Ik-soo to take over from Hwang Sun-Hong who had left to manage his former club,Pohang Steelers. Under An, Busan managed to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2005 after finishing fifth on the league table in the regular season. An's Busan side was knocked out in the first round of the play-offs by Suwon Samsung Bluewings by a familiar scoreline of 1–0.
In February 2012, an adjustment was made to the club's name by dropping an apostrophe making the official name read Busan IPark.
In 2015, after nine successive bottom-half finishes, Busan IPark were relegated to the second-tierK League Challenge for the first time in their history.[3]
Towards the end of the2016 season, with an immediate return to the K League Classic looking unlikely, IPark moved back to their smaller, previous home ground, the Gudeok Stadium.
Busan IPark had an impressive2017 season, although this was overshadowed by the death of then-managerCho Jin-ho with only two weeks remaining in the season. Busan finished runners up in the K League Challenge toGyeongnam FC, losing only 6 games all season. With caretaker manager, Lee Seung-yub in charge, Busan defeatedAsan Mugunghwa, in the playoff semi-final, but lost on penalties after a two-legged final toSangju Sangmu FC, who became the first K League Classic team to retain their league status via the playoffs. Busan also reached the final of the FA Cup, knocking out higher league opposition in Pohang Steelers,FC Seoul,Jeonnam Dragons and Suwon Bluewings but once again lost over a two-legged final, this time toUlsan Hyundai.
For the2018 season in the newly re-brandedK League 2,Choi Yun-kyum was appointed manager after previously gaining promotion withGangwon FC. Busan IPark eventually finished third in the K League 2, but for the second consecutive season lost in the two-legged playoff final, this time to FC Seoul. Despite again failing in their promotion bid, Busan broke numerous attendance records for the K League 2, including over 10,000[4] for the home leg of the playoff final. After failing to get promoted, manager Choi Yun-kyum resigned in the off-season and was replaced byCho Deok-je. Busan enjoyed a successful2019 season, with Cho Deok-je implementing an attacking brand of football that saw Busan finish as the top-scoring team in the division. Cho's side were built around young talents such asKim Moon-hwan,Lee Dong-jun, andKim Jin-kyu, as well as thennational team strikerLee Jung-hyup, veteran midfielderPark Jong-woo, and Brazilian playmakerRômulo. Busan IPark finished second in the K League 2 behindGwangju FC, entering the promotion playoffs for the fourth season in a row. After defeatingFC Anyang 1–0 at home, Busan faced local rivals Gyeongnam FC in a two-legged final. After a goalless first leg at the Gudeok Stadium, Busan won the away fixture 2–0 to secure their return to Korea's top division for the first time since 2015.
The2020 season brought quite the opposite feelings, in comparison: the club quickly found itself fighting against relegation, and coach Cho Deok-je eventually left the club in September after a poor run of results. Former Incheon United coachLee Ki-hyung took over in acaretaker capacity for the remaining four games of the season. After taking four points from his first two games in charge, Busan only needed a single point from either of their final games of the season to guarantee their top flight status for another year. However, despite leading at half-time against both Incheon United andSeongnam FC, Busan lost both games and finished in last place, thus getting relegated back to the K League 2.[5]
Because of this major blow, at the start of2021 Busan's board chose to pursue a general rebuild, which was opened by massive changes in the locker room: a multi-phasedtrade with Ulsan Hyundai sawLee Kyu-seong and homegrown rising star Lee Dong-jun depart, in favour ofChoi Jun,Park Jeong-in,Lee Sang-heon andJung Hoon-sung; other prominent players, includingHan Ji-ho (who went toBucheon FC 1995),Kang Min-soo (to Incheon United), Rômulo (toChengdu), Kim Moon-hwan (who joinedMLS clubLos Angeles FC) andKwon Hyeok-kyu (due tomilitary service atGimcheon Sangmu), left the club as well; the previous year's top scorer and MVP,An Byong-jun, as well asAhn Joon-soo,Park Min-gyu (on loan),Valentinos Sielis,Domagoj Drožđek andRyan Edwards, were all brought in.[6]
The team also had its first permanent foreign manager since 2007, as newcomerRicardo Peres was appointed, following a conversation between the board and then South Korean national team head coachPaulo Bento, who Peres had worked with for years.[6][7] Although the young Portuguese manager succeeded in implementing new training strategies at the club and giving young players more chances, he had a controversial relationship with supporters, while the team's results were panned by inconsistency and lack of balance: having the worst defence of the league (with 56 conceded goals) and relying mainly on two players for goals (An Byong-jun and Park Jeong-in), Busan finished fifth in the league and out of the promotion play-offs.[7] Nevertheless, new positives were still taken as backbone player Kim Jin-kyu established himself as one of the best midfielders of the season, while Choi Jun and An Byong-jun were nominated in the league's Best XI, as the latter also won both his second Top Scorer and MVP awards in a row.[7]
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| Saehan Motors FC | 1979–1980 |
| Daewoo FC | 1980–1982 |
| Daewoo Royals | 1983–1995 |
| Pusan Daewoo Royals | 1996–2000 |
| Pusan i.cons | 2000–2002 |
| Busan I'Cons | 2002–2005 |
| Busan I'Park | 2005–2011 |
| Busan IPark | 2012–present |
In 2012, Busan IPark signed an agreement with Gaesong High School, taking the school's pre-existing football team under the club's umbrella as its under-18 team.[8] The team competes inK League Junior, the youth division ofK League. IPark were runners-up in the 2013 edition of the tournament.[9] Since 2015, the club has also operated an under-15 team in affiliation with Nakdong Middle School.[10] The club's academy system also operates boys' teams at under-12 and under-9 level.[11] In 2024, Busan IPark became the first professional club in South Korea to launch an under-15 girls' team, announcing plans to further expand their girls' academy provision with under-12 and under-18 teams in the future.[12][13]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
12 —Club supporters (the 12th man)
16 —
Kim Joo-sung, 1987–1999 (winger,attacking midfielder,centre-back)
Jo Sung-hwanYoo Kyoung-youlChoi Hyun Choi Joon-hyukChoi Jae-soo,Jo Sung-jin Kang Hoon Lee Gwang-dong Kim Young-hyun Kim Myeong-jun, Kim Ho-jun Jeon Gon-jae, Yeo Seong-hyuk Choi Yu-up Kang Gun-moSource: Official website[15]
| Season | League | FA Cup | ACL | Other | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Pos. | ||||
| 1983 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 21 | 14 | +7 | 19 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 1984 | 28 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 47 | 23 | +24 | 59 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| 1985 | 21 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 22 | 16 | +6 | 25 | 3 | — | — | — | |
| 1986 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 26 | 24 | +2 | 22 | 4 | — | W | AACC —W | |
| 1987 | 32 | 16 | 14 | 2 | 41 | 20 | +21 | 46 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| 1988 | 24 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 28 | 30 | –2 | 21 | 5 | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | 40 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 44 | 44 | 0 | 42 | 3 | — | — | — | |
| 1990 | 30 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 30 | 25 | +5 | 35 | 2 | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | 30 | 17 | 18 | 5 | 49 | 32 | +17 | 52 | 1 | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | 30 | 7 | 14 | 9 | 26 | 33 | –7 | 28 | 5 | — | — | LC — 6th | |
| 1993 | 30 | 5 | 15 | 10 | 22 | 32 | –10 | 40 | 6 | — | — | LC — 3rd | |
| 1994 | 30 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 37 | 56 | –19 | 27 | 6 | — | — | LC — 3rd | |
| 1995 | 28 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 30 | 40 | –10 | 32 | 5 | — | — | LC — 3rd | |
| 1996 | 32 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 45 | 51 | –6 | 36 | 6 | QF | — | LC — 3rd | |
| 1997 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 24 | 9 | +15 | 37 | 1 | 1R | — | LC(A) —W | |
| LC(P) —W | |||||||||||||
| 1998 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 22 | +5 | 25 | 5 | QF | — | LC(A) — GS | |
| LC(P) —W | |||||||||||||
| 1999 | 27 | 10 | 4 | 13 | 37 | 36 | +1 | 37 | 2[a] | Ro16 | QF | LC(A) — PR | |
| LC(D) — RU | |||||||||||||
| 2000 | 27 | 9 | 2 | 16 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 29 | 6 | SF | — | LC(A) — QF | |
| LC(D) — GS | |||||||||||||
| 2001 | 27 | 10 | 11 | 6 | 38 | 33 | +5 | 41 | 5 | QF | — | LC — RU | |
| 2002 | 27 | 6 | 8 | 13 | 36 | 45 | –9 | 26 | 9 | QF | — | LC — GS | |
| 2003 | 44 | 13 | 10 | 21 | 41 | 71 | –30 | 49 | 9 | Ro32 | — | — | |
| 2004 | 24 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 21 | 19 | +2 | 30 | 7 | W | — | LC — 13th | |
| 2005 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 28 | 31 | –3 | 28 | 10 | Ro32 | SF | LC — 13th | |
| SC — RU | |||||||||||||
| 2006 | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 40 | 42 | –2 | 34 | 8 | Ro16 | — | LC — 10th | |
| 2007 | 26 | 4 | 8 | 14 | 20 | 39 | –19 | 20 | 13 | QF | — | LC — GS | |
| 2008 | 26 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 30 | 39 | –9 | 22 | 12 | Ro16 | — | LC — QF | |
| 2009 | 28 | 7 | 8 | 13 | 36 | 42 | –6 | 29 | 12 | Ro16 | — | LC — RU | |
| 2010 | 28 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 36 | 37 | –1 | 33 | 8 | RU | — | LC — QF | |
| 2011 | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 49 | 43 | +6 | 46 | 6[b] | QF | — | LC — RU | |
| 2012 | 44 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 40 | 51 | –11 | 53 | 7 | Ro32 | — | — | |
| 2013 | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 43 | 41 | +2 | 52 | 6 | SF | — | — | |
| 2014 | 38 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 37 | 49 | –12 | 43 | 8 | QF | — | — | |
| 2015 | 38 | 5 | 11 | 22 | 30 | 55 | –25 | 26 | 11↓ | Ro32 | — | — | |
| 2016 | 2 | 40 | 19 | 7 | 14 | 52 | 39 | +13 | 64 | 5 | Ro16 | — | — |
| 2017 | 36 | 19 | 11 | 6 | 52 | 30 | +22 | 68 | 2 | RU | — | — | |
| 2018 | 36 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 53 | 35 | +18 | 56 | 3 | Ro16 | — | — | |
| 2019 | 36 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 72 | 47 | +25 | 67 | 2↑ | 3R | — | — | |
| 2020 | 1 | 27 | 5 | 10 | 12 | 25 | 38 | –13 | 25 | 12↓ | QF | — | — |
| 2021 | 2 | 36 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 46 | 56 | –10 | 45 | 5 | 3R | — | — |
| 2022 | 40 | 9 | 9 | 22 | 34 | 52 | –18 | 36 | 10 | 3R | — | — | |
| 2023 | 36 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 50 | 29 | +21 | 70 | 2 | 3R | — | — | |
| 2024 | 36 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 55 | 45 | +10 | 56 | 5 | 3R | — | — | |
All results list Busan's goal tally first.
| Season | Round | Opposition | Home | Away | Agg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Group G |  Bình Định | 8–0 | 4–0 | 1st |
 Krung Thai Bank | 4–0 | 2–0 | |||
 Persebaya Surabaya | 4–0 | 3–0 | |||
| Quarter-final |  Al-Sadd | 3–0 | 2–1 | 5–1 | |
| Semi-final |  Al-Ittihad | 0–5 | 0–2 | 0–7 |
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| Subsidiaries |
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| People | ||||||
