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Seongnam Football Club () is a South Korean professional football club based in Seongnam that competes in the K League 2, the second tier of South Korean football. It is one of the most successful clubs in South Korea and the Asian Football Confederation, having won seven K League 1 titles and 2 AFC Champions League titles.
Nevertheless, Tongil Group prepared the foundation of a new football club from 1986 and finally obtained a license from Korea Football Association as a club based in Seoul. Tongil Group had initially considered establishing the club in the Honam region but there was objection from the local community. (2025). 9788996317845, K League. ISBN 9788996317845
The club was officially founded on 18 March 1989 as Ilhwa Chunma Football Club, and became the sixth member of the Korean Super League. The foundation ceremony was held in the Sheraton Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul.
The club had signed six players including Ko Jeong-woon and appointed Park Jong-hwan as the head coach. The contract with Park was considered a lucrative deal at the time, with a signing bonus of 100 million KRW paid alongside an annual salary of 48 million KRW.
The club won its first Asian title in the same year, defeating Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr in the final to achieve a league and continental double.
By the end of 1997, Ilhwa was still enjoying success. The club reached the final of the 1996β97 Asian Club Championship and the 1997 Korean FA Cup. (2025). 9788996317845, K League. ISBN 9788996317845 However, from 1998, the club went into a slump as a number of core players moved away from the club for various reasons. One of these players was the club's goalkeeper, Valeri Sarychev, who was forced to move as the K League gradually introduced restrictions on appearances by foreign goalkeepers.
As a result, Ilhwa finished at the bottom of the league for two consecutive seasons, in 1998 and 1999. In mid-1999, Cha Kyung-bok offered to resign voluntarily due to the poor results. On 21 November 1999, Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma were crowned as the winners of the 1999 Korean FA Cup after beating Jeonbuk Hyundai Dinos 3-0 in the final, held at Jeju Stadium.
Under Kim Hak-bum's management, the club bounced back to the forefront of South Korean football as they claimed their seventh league title in 2006, defeating Suwon Samsung Bluewings 3β1 on aggregate in the championship playoff final. This was their seventh K League title, a record among all the K League clubs.
In the 2007 season, they went undefeated for 22 consecutive league matches β the third longest streak in the history of the K League β before finally being defeated by Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2β1 on 15 July 2007. Seongnam finished the regular season of the 2007 K League Championship in first place but were beaten 4β1 on aggregate in the championship final by Pohang Steelers.
Seongnam's former player Shin Tae-yong returned as caretaker manager in the 2009 season before being officially appointed as manager from the following season as the club's successes continued. Seongnam won the 2010 AFC Champions League, defeating local rivals Suwon in the quarter-finals and going on to beat Iranian side Zob Ahan 3-1 in the final in front of 27,000 fans in Tokyo's National Stadium.
Seongnam added another FA Cup trophy to their collection in 2011, beating Suwon 1β0 in the final.
They changed their symbol from Tianma, which was the symbol of the Unification Church, to the magpie, the symbol of the Seongnam city. The yellow color of their uniform was also replaced with black. Their first manager Park Jong-hwan, who had managed the club from 1988 to 1996, returned to the club as manager once again.
The club played the first home game as Seongnam FC on 15 March 2014 against FC Seoul, resulting in a 0β0 draw. Their first post-rebranding victory came on 26 March, when they beat bitter rivals Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2β0. The following month, manager Park Jong-hwan resigned after it was revealed that he had been assaulting players.
After months of confusion, the club appointed Kim Hak-bum, who led the club during their glory years, as manager. His return turned out to be a success, as Seongnam not only escaped relegation but also won their third FA Cup trophy, beating FC Seoul in a penalty shoot-out.
In the 2016 season, after Incheon United's win over Suwon FC on the final day of the season, Seongnam finished 11th and were relegated to the second division for the first time in their history after being defeated by Gangwon FC on away goals rule in the promotion-relegation playoffs.
Nam Ki-il was announced as the club's new manager on 6 December 2017, replacing Park Kyung-hoon. He led Seongnam FC to promotion back to the first division just one season after their relegation. Nam resigned his position as the manager of the club on 16 December 2019. Kim Nam-il was appointed as the club's new manager on 23 December 2019 to lead the club in the 2020 K League 1 season.
In 2022, the club was once again relegated to K League 2. The club finished the 2024 K League 2 season at the bottom of the league table, but remained in the league as there is no promotion and relegation between K League 2 and K3 League.
The modern Seongnam Football Center, which serves as the club's training ground, was completed in December 2021, having been built at a cost of 26 billion won. It includes a natural grass training field, sauna, weight room, physical therapy room, and medical facilities.
On 22 August 1998, Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma had to finish the game against Jeonnam Dragons during the penalty shoot-out, after 1β1 draw in extra time.
According to K League regulations back then, teams were required to decide the winner with the golden goal or the penalty shoot-out after the extra time, if the match score is level at the end of normal time.
Since the stadium was not equipped with a floodlight system, they had to finish their games before sunset. Cheonan Ilhwa Chunma won the game by a draw.
Supporters of Seongnam have worked to protect the club amid rumors of its departure or dissolution.
Seongnam's biggest rival team is Suwon Samsung Bluewings. Their rivalry has been dubbed the Magyedaejeon.
Seongnam reached the final of the 2004 AFC Champions League. Despite winning the away leg 3β1, they lost the home leg 5β0 to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad and lost the tie 6β3 on aggregate.
On 13 November 2010, Seongnam beat Iranian club Zob Ahan FC 3β1 in the final of the 2010 AFC Champions League.
This was Seongnam's second AFC Champions League title and qualified them directly into the quarter-finals stage of the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup which they finished fourth.
Seongnam also placed fifth in the IFFHS Asian Clubs of the 20th century.
| Park Jong-hwan | 1988/09/16 | 1996/04/02 | 1989β1995 | ||
| Won Heung-jae | 1990/04/27 | 1990/06/27 | 1990 | Unofficial caretaker | |
| Lee Jang-soo | 1996/04/03 | 1996/08/17 | 1996 | ||
| 1996/08/18 | 1996/12/05 | 1996 | |||
| RenΓ© Desaeyere | 1996/12/18 | 1998/09/08 | 1997β1998 | ||
| Cha Kyung-bok | 1998/09/09 | 2004/12/01 | 1998β2004 | ||
| Kim Hak-bum | 2004/12/07 | 2004/12/29 | 2004 | In charge in the FA Cup | |
| 2004/12/30 | 2008/11/27 | 2005β2008 | |||
| Shin Tae-yong | 2008/12/06 | 2010/02/17 | 2009 | ||
| 2010/02/18 | 2012/12/08 | 2010β2012 | |||
| An Ik-soo | 2012/12/14 | 2013/12/22 | 2013 | ||
| Park Jong-hwan | 2013/12/23 | 2014/04/22 | 2014 | ||
| Lee Sang-yoon | 2014/04/22 | 2014/08/26 | 2014 | ||
| Lee Young-jin | 2014/08/26 | 2014/09/05 | 2014 | ||
| Kim Hak-bum | 2014/09/05 | 2016/09/12 | 2014β2016 | ||
| Gu Sang-bum | 2016/09/12 | 2016/11/20 | 2016 | ||
| Byun Sung-hwan | 2016/11/06 | 2016/11/20 | 2016 | Unofficial caretaker | |
| Park Kyung-hoon | 2016/12/01 | 2017/11/27 | 2017 | ||
| Nam Ki-il | 2017/12/06 | 2019/12/16 | 2018β2019 | ||
| Kim Nam-il | 2019/12/26 | 2022/08/24 | 2020β2022 | ||
| Chung Kyung-ho | 2022/08/24 | 2022/10/15 | 2022 | ||
| Lee Ki-hyung | 2022/12/09 | 2024/03/20 | 2023β2024 | ||
| Choi Chul-woo | 2024/03/22 | 2024/05/18 | 2024 | ||
| 2024/05/18 | 2024/08/06 | 2024 | |||
| Kim Hae-woon | 2024/08/06 | 2024/09/10 | 2024 | ||
| Jeon Kyung-jun | 2024/09/10 | 2024β | |||
| 2003 | Group B | Osotsapa | 6β0 | 2nd | |
| Shimizu S-Pulse | 2β1 | ||||
| Dalian Shide | 1β3 | ||||
| 2004 | Group G | Persik Kediri | 15β0 | 2β1 | 1st |
| BΓ¬nh Δα»nh | 2β0 | 3β1 | |||
| Yokohama F. Marinos | 0β1 | 2β1 | |||
| Quarter-final | Sharjah FC | 6β0 | 5β2 | 11β2 | |
| Semi-final | Pakhtakor | 0β0 | 2β0 | 2β0 | |
| Final | Al-Ittihad | 0β5 | 3β1 | 3β6 | |
| 2007 | Group G | Dong Tam Long An | 4β1 | 2β1 | 1st |
| Shandong Luneng Taishan | 3β0 | 1β2 | |||
| Adelaide United | 1β0 | 2β2 | |||
| Quarter-final | Al-Karamah SC | 2β1 | 2β0 | 4β1 | |
| Semi-final | Urawa Red Diamonds | 2β2 | 2β2 | 4β4 | |
| 2010 | Group E | Kawasaki Frontale | 2β0 | 0β3 | 1st |
| Melbourne Victory | 3β2 | 2β0 | |||
| Beijing Guoan | 3β1 | 1β0 | |||
| Round of 16 | Gamba Osaka | 3β0 | |||
| Quarter-final | Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 4β1 | 0β2 | 4β3 | |
| Semi-final | Al-Shabab | 1β0 | 3β4 | 4β4 (a) | |
| Final | Zob Ahan | 3β1 | |||
| 2012 | Group G | Nagoya Grampus | 1β1 | 2β2 | 1st |
| Tianjin TEDA | 1β1 | 3β0 | |||
| Central Coast Mariners | 5β0 | 1β1 | |||
| Round of 16 | FC Bunyodkor | 0β1 | |||
| 2015 | Group F | Buriram United | 2β1 | 1β2 | 2nd |
| Gamba Osaka | 2β0 | 1β2 | |||
| Guangzhou R&F | 0β0 | 1β0 | |||
| Round of 16 | Guangzhou Evergrande | 2β1 | 0β2 | 2β3 | |
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