Suwon Samsung Bluewings

The Suwon Samsung Bluewings (Korean: 수원 삼성 블루윙즈 FC) are a South Korean football club based in Suwon that competes in the K League 2, the second tier of South Korean football. Founded in December 1995, they have won the K League on four occasions (1998, 1999, 2004 and 2008), as well as the Asian Club Championship twice, in 2000–01 and 2001–02.

Suwon Samsung Bluewings

Full name	Suwon Samsung Bluewings Football Club 수원 삼성 블루윙즈 축구단
Nickname(s)	Cheong-Baek-Jeok Korean: 청백적 (The Blue, White and Reds) Tricolor
Founded	1995 (1995)
Ground	Suwon World Cup Stadium
Capacity	44,031
Owner	Cheil Worldwide
Chairman	Lee Jun
Head coach	Byun Sung-hwan
League	K League 2
2023	K League 1, 12th of 12 (relegated)
Website	http://www.bluewings.kr
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Suwon Samsung Bluewings
Hangul	수원 삼성 블루윙즈
Hanja	水原三星 블루윙즈
Revised Romanization	Suwon Samseong Beulluwingjeu
McCune–Reischauer	Suwŏn Samsŏng Pŭlluwingjŭ

History

The club was officially founded in December 1995 by Samsung Electronics, becoming the ninth member of the K League from the 1996 season. 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.

Former South Korean national team manager Kim 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 in 1998 and retained in 1999 as Suwon started to dominate Korean football.

Suwon lifted the Asian Club Championship twice in succession in 2000–01 and 2001–02, and also added the Asian Super Cup to their roll of honors on two occasions.

In the 2002 season, Suwon also won the Korean FA Cup for the first time, achieving a continental double.

The departure of Kim Ho in 2003 saw Korean football legend Cha Bum-kun appointed manager ahead of the 2004 season, and the club won its third league title in his debut season as manager.

Suwon finished runners-up in both major domestic competitions in 2006, as Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma claimed victory in the K-League championship play-off final and Chunnam 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 the K League Championship and the League Cup.

In the 2023 season, the club was relegated to the second-tier K League 2 for the first time in its history after finishing in last place.

Crest and colours

Crest

The Hwaseong Fortress

The current crest has been used by the Bluewings since 2008. It depicts the Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO 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.

Colours

The Bluewings' colours are blue, red and white. Blue is the colour of Samsung and also symbolises youth and hope. Red is the symbol of bravery, passion, challenge, vitality and dynamism. White represents benevolence, purity and fair play.

Stadium

Main article: Suwon World Cup Stadium

A view of the Suwon World Cup Stadium

The Suwon Samsung Bluewings used the 11,808-seat Suwon Sports Complex as their home stadium from 1995 through 2001.

Samsung began building the Suwon World Cup Stadium, the current home of the Bluewings, in 1996, but construction stopped in 1998 due to the 1997 Asian financial crisis. With the support of the city of Suwon and Gyeonggi Province, the stadium was completed in May 2001. It was used as a venue for the 2002 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 in Dongtan, a district of Hwaseong.

Supporters

Supporters at Suwon World Cup Stadium

Main article: Frente Tricolor

The Frente Tricolor is the official Suwon Samsung Bluewings supporters group.

The club's official theme song is "My Love, My Suwon" by the South Korean punk rock band No Brain. It is based on the song "Little Baby", released in 2003, and Suwon fans sang it by changing the lyrics.

Players

Current squad

As of 13 May 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
1	GK	KOR	Cho Sung-hoon
2	DF	KOR	Jang Seok-hwan
3	DF	KOR	Jang Ho-ik
5	DF	KOR	Han Ho-gang
6	MF	KOR	Yoo Je-ho
7	FW	KOR	Kim Hyun
8	MF	KOR	Park Sang-hyuk
9	FW	SRB	Fejsal Mulić
10	FW	KOR	Jeon Jin-woo
11	MF	MLI	Aboubacar Ibrahima Toungara
12	FW	KOR	Choi Ji-mook
13	MF	KOR	Kim Bo-kyung
14	MF	JPN	Kazuki Kozuka (vice-captain)
16	MF	KOR	Lee Jong-sung (vice-captain)
17	FW	KOR	Kim Kyung-jung
19	FW	KOR	Seo Dong-han
20	DF	KOR	Cho Yoon-sung
21	GK	KOR	Yang Hyung-mo (captain)
22	MF	KOR	Kim Sang-jun
23	DF	KOR	Lee Ki-je
25	MF	KOR	Choi Sung-keun

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
27	DF	KOR	Lee Si-young
29	FW	KOR	Lee Sang-min
30	DF	KOR	Baek Dong-kyu
31	GK	KOR	Lee Seong-ju
34	GK	KOR	Park Ji-min
35	DF	KOR	Kwak Sung-hoon
36	MF	KOR	Myung Jun-jae
37	FW	KOR	Kim Ju-chan
39	DF	KOR	Min Sang-gi
42	MF	KOR	Lim Hyun-sub
45	DF	KOR	Hwang Myung-hyun
47	MF	KOR	Park Seung-soo
50	DF	KOR	Ko Jong-hyun
55	MF	KOR	Im Ji-hoon
72	DF	KOR	Lee Geon-hee
74	DF	KOR	Jung Sung-min
77	DF	KOR	Son Ho-jun
90	FW	KOR	Park Hee-jun
91	MF	KOR	Kim Seong-ju
96	FW	KOR	Koo Min-seo
99	FW	KOR	Son Seok-yong

Club captains

Yeom Ki-hun is the most capped player and top goalscorer in the club's history.

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

Notable players

Hall of Fame

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)

Greatest ever team (10th anniversary)

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.

• Goalkeeper

Lee Woon-jae (1996–2011)

• Defenders

Park Kun-ha (1996–2006)

Choi Sung-yong (2002–2006)

Lee Byung-keun (1996–2006)

• Midfielders

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)

• Forwards

Nádson (2003–2008)

Saša Drakulić (1998–2000)

Greatest ever team (20th anniversary)

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.

• Goalkeeper

Lee Woon-jae (1996–2011)

• Defenders

Choi Sung-yong (2002–2006)

Mato Neretljak (2005–2008, 2011)

Lee Byung-keun (1996–2006)

Kwak Hee-ju (2003–2013, 2015–2016)

• Midfielders

Denis Laktionov (1996–2003, 2006–2007)

Ko Jong-soo (1996–2004)

Kim Jin-woo (1996–2007)

Seo Jung-won (1999–2004)

• Forwards

Park Kun-ha (1996–2006)

Nádson (2003–2008)

Honours

Suwon Samsung Bluewings players celebrating after winning the 2008 K League

Domestic

• 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

• 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

Record

Season	Division	Teams	League	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	League Cup	FA 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)	1st 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)	1st 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-kun Yoon 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-won Lee 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-saeng Ju 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-keun Choi Sung-yong (C) Kim Byung-soo Yeom Ki-hun (C)

• K League Championship results are not counted.
• The 1998, 1999 and 2000 seasons had penalty shoot-outs instead of draws.
• A – Adidas Cup, P – Pro-Specs Cup, PM – Philip Morris Cup, D – Daehan Fire Insurance Cup, S – Samsung Hauzen Cup, PK – Peace Cup Korea, PC – Posco Cup, RC – Rush & Cash Cup
  CW – Asian Cup Winners Cup, CC – Asian Club Championship, SC – Asian Super Cup, CL – AFC Champions League, A3 – A3 Champions Cup, PP – Pan-Pacific Championship, ST – Saitama City Cup

AFC Champions League record

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 (4–2 p)
	Semi-final	Kashima Antlers	3–3	2–3	5–6
2020	Group G	Guangzhou Evergrande	0–0	1–1	2nd
		Vissel Kobe	0–1	2–0
	Round of 16	Yokohama F. Marinos	3–2		—
	Quarter-final	Vissel Kobe	1–1 (a.e.t.) (6–7 p)		—

Player statistics

Top scorers by seasons

Season Name Goals 1996 Park Kun-ha 7 1997 Cho Hyun-doo 7 1998 Saša Drakulić 8 1999 23 2000 Denis Laktionov 10 2001 Sandro Cardoso 17 2002 10 2003 Nádson 14 2004 14 2005 Mato Neretljak 10 2006 Baek Ji-hoon 5 2007 Nádson 8 2008 Edu 16 2009 Edu 7 2010 José Mota 11

Season Name Goals 2011 Stevica Ristić 9 2012 Dženan Radončić 14 2013 Jong Tae-se 10 2014 Natanael Santos 14 2015 12 2016 12 2017 Johnathan 22 2018 Dejan Damjanović 13 2019 Adam Taggart 20 2020 9 2021 Uroš Đerić Kim Gun-hee Jeong Sang-bin Kim Min-woo 6 2022 Oh Hyeon-gyu 13

Award winners

The following players have won awards while at Suwon Samsung Bluewings:

Domestic

• K League MVP Award
  • Ko Jong-soo (1998)
  • Nádson (2004)
  • Lee Woon-jae (2008)
• K League Top Scorer Award
  • Saša Drakulić (1999)
  • Sandro (2004)
  • Natanael Santos (2014)
  • Johnathan (2017)
  • Adam Taggart (2019)
• K League Top Assists Award
  • Denis Laktionov (1999)
  • Yeom Ki-hun (2015, 2016)
  • Lee Ki-je (2022)
• K League Best XI
  • 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)
• K League Young Player of the Year
  • Park Kun-ha (1996)
  • Ha Tae-kyun (2007)
• Korean FA Cup MVP Award
  • Seo Jung-won (2002)
  • Lee Woon-jae (2009)
  • Yeom Ki-hun (2010, 2016)
  • Ko Seung-beom (2019)
• Korean FA Cup Top Scorer Award
  • Denis Laktionov (1996)
  • Yeom Ki-hun (2019)

International

• AFC Champions League Top Scorer
  • José Mota (2010)
• AFC Champions League MVP Award
  • Zoltan Sabo (2000–01)
• AFC Champions League BEST XI
  • Dejan Damjanović (2018)
• A3 Champion Cup Top Scorer
  • Nádson (2005)
• A3 Champions Cup MVP
  • Nádson (2005)

World Cup players

The following players have represented their country at the FIFA World Cup whilst playing for Suwon Samsung Bluewings:

World Cup 1998

• Ko Jong-soo

World Cup 2002

• Lee Woon-jae
• Choi Sung-yong

World Cup 2006

• Lee Woon-jae
• Song Chong-gug
• Cho Won-hee
• Kim Nam-il

World Cup 2010

• Lee Woon-jae
• Yeom Ki-hun

World Cup 2014

• Jung Sung-ryong

World Cup 2018

• Matthew Jurman

Olympic players

The following players have represented their country at the Summer Olympic Games whilst playing for Suwon Samsung Bluewings:

1996

• Ko Jong-soo
• Lee Kyung-soo
• Lee Ki-hyung

2000

• Ko Jong-soo

2004

• Cho Byung-kuk
• Kim Do-heon

2008

• Baek Ji-hoon
• Shin Young-rok

2012

• Jung Sung-ryong

2016

• Kwon Chang-hoon

2020

• An Chan-gi
• Kwon Chang-hoon

Managers

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	2020–2022
7	Lee Byung-keun	18 April 2022	17 April 2023	2022–2023
C	Choi Sung-yong	18 April 2023	5 May 2023	2023
8	Kim Byung-soo	6 May 2023	26 September 2023	2023
C	Yeom Ki-hun	26 September 2023	2 December 2023	2023
9	Yeom Ki-hun	9 January 2024	25 May 2024	2024
10	Byun Sung-hwan	31 May 2024	present	2024–

External links

• Official website
• FIFA.com – Classic Club: Suwon Samsung Bluewings (in English) (archived 14 November 2009)