Pohang Steelers
Pohang Steelers (Hangul: 포항 스틸러스) is a South Korean professional football club based in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, that competes in the K League 1, the top flight of South Korean football. The club was founded on 1 April 1973 and was originally called POSCO FC, named after the steel-making company POSCO. They are one of South Korea's most successful teams, having won the K League five times and the AFC Champions League three times.[1]
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| Full name | Football Club Pohang Steelers 포항 스틸러스 프로축구단 | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Pohang Steelers | ||
| Short name | FCPS | ||
| Founded | 1 April 1973 (as POSCO FC) | ||
| Ground | Pohang Steel Yard | ||
| Capacity | 17,443 | ||
| Owner | POSCO | ||
| Chairman | Shin Young-gwon | ||
| Manager | Kim Gi-dong | ||
| League | K League 1 | ||
| 2021 | K League 1, 9th of 12 | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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History
The club was founded on 1 April 1973 as the Pohang Iron and Steel Company Football Club (POSCO FC).[2] Initially a semi-professional club, they turned professional in the 1984 season and changed its name to POSCO Dolphins. A year later they renamed as the POSCO Atoms.[3] In 1986 they won their first Championship, and enjoyed a great spell of domination in the league; between 1985 and 1998 they were continuously in the top four of the K League.
In 1995 the club was renamed again, becoming the Pohang Atoms. This name change was an attempt to further strengthen local ties with the region, and in 1997 they adopted their current name, the Pohang Steelers. The team won the Asian Champions Cup in 1997 and 1998.[4]
In the 2000s, the club struggled near the bottom of the table, but bounced back to the forefront of South Korean football by winning the first stage of the 2004 K League Championship. The club qualified for the final Championship match of the 2004 season, but lost 4–3 on penalties to Suwon Samsung Bluewings.[5]
In 2007, the club won the Championship play-off by beating Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, who finished in first place in the regular season of the K League. Pohang won the first leg 3–1 at home, and then traveled to Seongnam for the second leg game, recording a 1–0 victory to seal a 4–1 aggregate triumph. The Steelers had ended the K League season in fifth place, but then defeated Gyeongnam FC, Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i, Suwon Samsung Bluewings and finally Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in the play-offs to win the championship.[6]
Pohang again made the play-offs in the 2008 season by finishing the season in fifth place, but were knocked out in their play-off game by Ulsan Hyundai after the penalty shoot-out. However, the club fared much better in the 2008 Korean FA Cup. After beating Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in the quarter-finals, Pohang knocked out Daegu FC in the semi-finals and then defeated Gyeongnam FC in the final to ensure qualification for the 2009 AFC Champions League.[7]
In the 2009 AFC Champions League, the Steelers defeated Umm-Salal of Qatar 4–1 on aggregate in the semi-finals to advance to their first ever AFC Champions League final.[8] The Steelers defeated Saudi club Al-Ittihad 2–1 at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan to claim the title.[9] For the 2009 K League season, Pohang once again qualified for the play-off phase of the league by finishing the regular season in second place, equal with FC Seoul on points, but ahead on goal difference. The Steelers had a bye to the semi-finals, but lost to Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma.[10] Nonetheless, their regular season placing saw them qualify for the 2010 AFC Champions League Group stage.
Following the conclusion of the 2009 K League season, at the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup in December, the Steelers finished in third place after defeating Mexican side Atlante 4–3 on penalties.[11]
Kits
In 1994, POSCO Atoms wore a green kit and a white kit with a multicoloured sun in the middle. In 1997, Pohang Steelers wore a white shirt with black stripes on the shoulders and black shorts. In 2000, the first kit consisted of a sky blue shirt and white shorts, while the away kit was a black and red hooped shirt with black shorts (similar to the current kit). In 2002 the kit was red with a black "V" on the chest.
Honours
League
Asian
- Runners-up (1): 2005
Worldwide
- Third place (1): 2009
Season-by-season records
| Season | Division | Tms. | Pos. | FA Cup | AFC CL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 1 | 5 | 4 | — | — |
| 1984 | 1 | 8 | 5 | — | — |
| 1985 | 1 | 8 | 2 | — | — |
| 1986 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | — |
| 1987 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | — |
| 1988 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | — |
| 1989 | 1 | 6 | 4 | — | — |
| 1990 | 1 | 6 | 3 | — | — |
| 1991 | 1 | 6 | 3 | — | — |
| 1992 | 1 | 6 | 1 | — | — |
| 1993 | 1 | 6 | 4 | — | — |
| 1994 | 1 | 7 | 3 | — | — |
| 1995 | 1 | 8 | 2 | — | — |
| 1996 | 1 | 9 | 3 | Winners | — |
| 1997 | 1 | 10 | 4 | Semi-final | Winners |
| 1998 | 1 | 10 | 3 | Semi-final | Winners |
| 1999 | 1 | 10 | 5 | Round of 16 | Quarter-final |
| 2000 | 1 | 10 | 9 | Quarter-final | — |
| 2001 | 1 | 10 | 5 | Runners-up | — |
| 2002 | 1 | 10 | 6 | Runners-up | — |
| 2003 | 1 | 12 | 7 | Quarter-final | — |
| 2004 | 1 | 13 | 2 | Round of 32 | — |
| 2005 | 1 | 13 | 5 | Quarter-final | — |
| 2006 | 1 | 14 | 3 | Round of 16 | — |
| 2007 | 1 | 14 | 1 | Runners-up | — |
| 2008 | 1 | 14 | 5 | Winners | Group stage |
| 2009 | 1 | 15 | 3 | Quarter-final | Winners |
| 2010 | 1 | 15 | 9 | Round of 16 | Quarter-final |
| 2011 | 1 | 16 | 3 | Semi-final | — |
| 2012 | 1 | 16 | 3 | Winners | Group stage |
| 2013 | 1 | 14 | 1 | Winners | Group stage |
| 2014 | 1 | 12 | 4 | Round of 16 | Quarter-final |
| 2015 | 1 | 12 | 3 | Quarter-final | — |
| 2016 | 1 | 12 | 9 | Round of 32 | Group stage |
| 2017 | 1 | 12 | 7 | Round of 32 | — |
| 2018 | 1 | 12 | 4 | Round of 32 | — |
| 2019 | 1 | 12 | 4 | Round of 32 | — |
| 2020 | 1 | 12 | 3 | Semi-final | — |
| 2021 | 1 | 12 | 9 | Quarter-final | Runners-up |
- Key
- Tms. = Number of teams
- Pos. = Position in league
AFC Champions League record
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- Played at a neutral venue.
Current squad
- As of 20 March 2022
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club officials
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Director of Football |  Jang Young-bok |
| Manager | Kim Gi-dong |
| Assistant manager | Kim Dae-keon |
| First Team coach | Lee Gwang-jae |
| Goalkeeper coach | Park Ho-jin |
| Fitness coach |  Juninho Brilhante Park Hyo-jun |
| Athletic coach | Lee Jong-gyu Kang Dong-hoon |
| Match analyst | Park Cheol-ho |
| Physiotherapist | Byeon Jong-keun |
| Interpreter | Ki Ji-yong |
| Power analyzer | Lee Chang-ju |
| Director of youth department | Choi Soon-ho |
| Kit manager | Lee Sang-yeol |
Managers
| No. | Manager | Period | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Han Hong-ki |
2 May 1973 – 29 November 1984 | |
| 2 | Choi Eun-taek |
29 November 1984 – 16 December 1986 | 1986 K League |
| 3 | Lee Hoe-taik |
16 December 1986 – 31 December 1992 | 1988 K League, 1992 K League |
| C | Kim Soon-ki Kim Chul-soo |
1989 | |
| C | Cho Yoon-ok |
1989–1990 | |
| 4 | Huh Jung-moo |
1993 – 25 November 1995 | 1993 League Cup |
| C | Kim Soon-ki |
1994 | |
| 5 | Park Sung-hwa |
12 December 1995 – 31 July 2000 | 1996 FA Cup, 1996–97 Asian Club Championship, 1997–98 Asian Club Championship |
| 6 | Choi Soon-ho |
1 August 2000 – 5 December 2004 | |
| 7 | Sérgio Farias |
6 January 2005 – 20 December 2009 | 2007 K League, 2008 FA Cup, 2009 League Cup, 2009 AFC Champions League |
| 8 | Waldemar Lemos |
8 January – 10 May 2010 | |
| C | Park Chang-hyun |
11 May – 7 November 2010 | |
| 9 | Hwang Sun-hong |
13 December 2010 – 29 November 2015 | 2012 FA Cup, 2013 FA Cup, 2013 K League |
| 10 | Choi Jin-cheul |
28 December 2015 – 24 September 2016 | |
| 11 | Choi Soon-ho |
26 September 2016 – 22 April 2019 | |
| 12 | Kim Gi-dong |
23 April 2019 – present |
- Names in italics indicates interim or caretaker manager
References
- "포항스틸러스, AFC 예선 히로시마전 아쉬운 무승부". nocutnews.co.kr. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
- "South Korea – Foundation Dates of Clubs". rsssf.com. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- 역대 클럽 엠블렘 & 마스코트 변천사. Steelyard.net (in Korean). Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- "Asian Champions' Cup". rsssf.com. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- "South Korea 2004". rsssf.com. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- "South Korea 2007". rsssf.com. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- "South Korea 2008". rsssf.com. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- "East to meet West in AFC final". FIFA.com. 28 October 2009. Archived from the original on 31 October 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
- "Pohang book UAE berth". FIFA.com. 7 November 2009. Archived from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
- "Asian champions Pohang go down to Seongnam". the-afc.com (AFC). 30 November 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2011.
- "Pohang penalty joy". ESPN Soccernet. 19 December 2009. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
- Football Club Pohang Steelers was founded as a semi-professional team in 1973, and turned into a professional team in 1984. Even after the club turned professional, Pohang managed a separate, semi-professional reserves team that participated in the Korean National Semi-Professional Football League until the formation of R League.
- "India – D.C.M. Trophy". rsssf.com. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
- Morrison, Neil. "D.C.M. Trophy – List of Finals (1988)". rsssf.com. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pohang Steelers. |
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