Incheon United
Encyclopedia
Incheon United is a professional Korean
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

 football team currently playing in the K-League
K-League
The Korea Professional Football League is South Korea's only fully professional association football league. At the top of the South Korean football league system, it is the country's highest and most prestigious level of football competition currently contested by 16 clubs.-Establishment:The...

. The team's home town is Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...

, the third biggest city in the country, and the team's home stadium is the Incheon Munhak Stadium
Incheon Munhak Stadium
Incheon Munhak Stadium is a football stadium in the South Korean city of Incheon. The stadium's capacity is 50,256. It is the home stadium of the football club Incheon United F.C..Incheon Munhak Stadium, initially named Incheon World Cup Stadium, hosted some matches in the 2002 World Cup...

, one of the ten venues built in Korea for the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...

.

Origins

Officially founded at the end of the 2003 season, the move to create a professional club in Incheon had come about in part by the construction of the Incheon Munhak Stadium for the 2002 FIFA World Cup tournament. Incheon city mayor Ahn Sang-su began the process of creating the club in earnest in June 2003 with the official founding of Incheon FC, and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 Werner Lorant
Werner Lorant
Werner Lorant is a former German football player and manager.-Playing career:The defender and defensive midfielder commenced his professional career 1970 in the second division with Westfalia Herne. 1971 he moved to Borussia Dortmund. There he was part of a side that lost 1-11 against Bayern...

 was appointed as manager of the team in September of that year, with Chang Woe-Ryong
Chang Woe-Ryong
Chang Woe-Ryong is a South Korean football manager, who is at present the official manager of Chinese Super League club Qingdao Jonoon.He was confirmed as permanent manager of Incheon United in January 2005, after taking over as caretaker manager in September 2004 following the resignation of...

 and Kim Si-seok added to the coaching staff.

A public share issue was launched and ran from October to November 2003, and in December the name Incheon United was adopted. Sponsorship contracts worth a total of $4m were signed with Daewoo
Daewoo
Daewoo or the Daewoo Group was a major South Korean chaebol . It was founded on 22 March 1967 as Daewoo Industrial and was dismantled by the Korean government in 1999...

 and Daeduk Construction, and a deal was struck with Puma
PUMA AG
Puma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two...

 to be the inaugural kit suppliers to the new club.

Debut season

Lorant and his coaching staff recruited several high-profile players in a bid to make an impact on the league in the club's debut season in 2004. Goalkeeper Shim Bum-chul was recruited along with talented youngsters Choi Tae-uk
Choi Tae-Uk
Choi Tae-Uk is a South Korean football player who plays for FC Seoul. He made his debut in the 2000 K-league season.-Career:Choi is a natural winger well known for his great speed...

, Kim Chi-woo
Kim Chi-Woo
Kim Chi-Woo is a South Korean football player who currently plays for Sangju Sangmu Phoenix in K-League.-Club career:...

 and popular Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese playmaker Masakiyo Maezono
Masakiyo Maezono
is a retired Japanese football player. and Beach Soccer player.-Career:Maezono was a member of the Japanese Squad at the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 1996 AFC Asian Cup. He played Starting with Yokohama Flügels afterSantos, Goiás. in Brazil...

. The most high profile of the imports was Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

 international defender Alpay Özalan
Alpay Özalan
Alpay Fehmi Özalan is a former Turkish footballer.Alpay is currently a member of the management committee of Siirtspor.-Playing style:...

, recruited from English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 Premier League side Aston Villa.

The club's first ever K-League match was a home encounter with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are a professional football club based in Jeonju, Jeonbuk, South Korea. They won their first K-League title in 2009. Prior to this, the club won the AFC Champions League title in 2006, becoming the first club from East Asia to win the tournament since the AFC Champions...

 on April 3, 2004 which ended goalless. Their first league victory came in the third game of the season, also at home, as a Jasenko Sabitovic
Lee Sa-Vik
Jasenko Sabitović is a Bosnian-born Croatian football player who played for NK Zagreb, Pohang Steelers, Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, Suwon Samsung Bluewings, Chunnam Dragons, NK Karlovac. Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, he became naturalized as a Korean citizen in 2004...

 own-goal gave them a 1-0 victory over defending champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma is a South Korean professional football club, based in Seongnam, South Korea, that plays in the K-League...

.

Despite that promising start to the year, Incheon recorded just one more victory in the first stage of the season and finished bottom of the table on just nine points. The club's fortunes improved slightly during the summer Hauzen Cup
Hauzen Cup
The Samsung Hauzen Cup is a filler competition created to allow domestic football during times of increased national team activity. This competition can perhaps be seen as an attempt to solve the country v club conflict over players...

 tournament, winning three times and finishing eighth out of the thirteen sides involved. Manager Lorant stepped down as manager at the end of August, and he was replaced in the hotseat by his assistant Chang Woe-Ryong
Chang Woe-Ryong
Chang Woe-Ryong is a South Korean football manager, who is at present the official manager of Chinese Super League club Qingdao Jonoon.He was confirmed as permanent manager of Incheon United in January 2005, after taking over as caretaker manager in September 2004 following the resignation of...

 as caretaker manager.

Talented former Busan I'cons player Radivoje Manic was added to the squad during the summer transfer window, and both he and caretaker manager Chang made instant impacts on the side as the club finished fourth overall in the second stage of the league season, remaining in the race to claim victory in the stage until the final day.

Title challenge

Chang was confirmed as permanent Incheon manager in January 2005 as the club prepared to embark on what was to become a memorable season. The team finished runners-up in the first stage of the league season and, after coming in eighth for the second consecutive season in the Hauzen Cup, finished joint third in the second stage of the K-League and qualified for the post-season championship playoffs by virtue of having the best overall record. Incheon were to face first stage winners Busan I'Park in the semi-final, and they easily defeated the southern side by a 2-0 scoreline to set up a championship final against Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i
Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i
The Ulsan Hyundai Football Club is a South Korean professional football club, owned by Korean corporation Hyundai, that entered the K-League in 1984 as Hyundai Horangi.-History:...

. In the first leg of the final at the Munhak stadium, goalkeeper Kim Lee-sub
Kim Lee-Sub
Kim Lee-Sub is a South Korean football player who since 2004 has played for Incheon United .-References:...

 endured a torrid ninety minutes as Ulsan hit the back of the net five times in a stunning display of football, with Dženan Radončić
Dženan Radoncic
Dženan Radončić is a Montenegrin football player playing for K-League side Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in South Korea....

 netting a late consolation goal for the home side. Sung Kyung-mo
Sung Kyung-Mo
Sung Kyung-Mo is a South Korean football player. .He was released with accepting bribes as part of a probe into match-fixing in the league on 19 May 2011. On 17 June 2011, his football career was rescinded by the Korea Professional Football League with other accomplices.- External links :...

 replaced Kim in the Incheon goal for the second leg, and though United claimed a 2-1 victory they lost out on the title 6-3 on aggregate, but finished their second season in existence as K-League runners-up.

Incheon United also finished the 2005 season with the highest total and average home attendance, with 316,591 spectators in total coming through the gates, an average of 24,353.

Community growth

The 2006 season was something of a disappointment compared with the highs of 2005. Tenth overall in the first stage of the K-League and sixth in the second, the team finished bottom of the fourteen-team Hauzen Cup table, but reached the semi-finals of the Korean FA Cup
Korean FA Cup
The Korean FA Cup is a national cup knockout competition involving K-League, National League, and various amateur and university-level clubs which is held by KFA....

 before being eliminated on penalties by eventual winners Chunnam Dragons
Chunnam Dragons
Chunnam Dragons is a football club founded in 1995 in the Korean city of Gwangyang, which joined the K-League for the 1995 season at the same time as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, their Jeolla province rivals.-History:...

.

Despite a relative lack of success on the field for the top team, the club continued to strengthen its set-up at reserve and youth level. The reserve team claimed victory in the K-League reserve league championship, and the U12 side won the 2006 Youth Football Championship.

2007 season

Manager Chang departed for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 at the start of the year to begin a year of study, so assistant manager Park I-cheon stepped up as caretaker manager for the 2007 season. The club struggled home in 9th place in the regular K-League season, but reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the second consecutive season before again losing out to eventual winners Chunnam. There was also an earlier semi-final defeat in the revamped Hauzen Cup competition, where Incheon lost 4-3 on penalties to FC Seoul
FC Seoul
FC Seoul is a South Korean professional football club based in Seoul, South Korea, that plays in the K-League. It is currently owned by GS Sports, a subsidiary of GS Group....

 after a goalless draw in normal time.

Current squad

Out on loan

Retired number(s)

12Club Supporters (the 12th Man)
12th Man (football)
The 12th man or 12th player is a term used to describe the fans within a stadium during association football or American football games. This term has a different meaning in cricket, referring to the first substitute player who fields when a member of the fielding side is injured...


Staff

Coaching Staff
  • Manager:   Huh Jung-Moo
    Huh Jung-Moo
    Huh Jung-Moo is a former Korean football player and currently manages Incheon United.-Football career:Huh played for PSV Eindhoven and Hyundai Horang-i as midfielder...

  • Assistant Manager:   Kim Bong-Kil
    Kim Bong-Kil
    Kim Bong-Gil is a South Korean football coach and former player. He is currently in charge of Incheon United.-External links:*...

  • Coach:   Im Joong-Yong,   Kim Hak-Cheol
  • GK Coach:   Everaldo
  • Physical Coach:   Renaci


Medical Staff
  • Trainer:   Kwon Huk-Joon
  • Trainer:   Lee Seung-Jae


Youth Academy Staff
  • Youth Executive Manager :   Kim Si-Seok
  • U-18 Manager :   Myung Jin-Young
  • U-15 Manager :   Kim Jeong-Jae
  • U-12 Manager :   Seo Ki-Bok
    Seo Ki-Bok
    Seo Ki-Bok is a South Korean football player who plays at midfielder.He played in 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship with Seol Ki-Hyeon, Lee Dong-Gook...

  • U-15/ U-12 Coach :   Jose Carlos Serrao Junior
  • I'United Child Football Class Manager :   Choi Jin-Tae

Famous players

Jade North
Jade North
Jade Bronson North is an Indigenous Australian association football player. He played as a centre back or full back for the FC Tokyo in the J. League Division 2...

 Selmir Jasmin Agić
Jasmin Agic
Jasmin Agić is a Croatian football midfielder, currently unattached. He made his debut for the Croatia national football team on 10 March 1999 against Greece, coming on as a 61st-minute substitute for Goran Jurić. He went on to be capped a total of 14 times for his country.-External links:* at the...

 Masakiyo Maezono
Masakiyo Maezono
is a retired Japanese football player. and Beach Soccer player.-Career:Maezono was a member of the Japanese Squad at the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 1996 AFC Asian Cup. He played Starting with Yokohama Flügels afterSantos, Goiás. in Brazil...

 Baže Ilijoski Dejan Damjanović
Dejan Damjanovic
Dejan Damjanović is an international Montenegrin football forward, who plays for FC Seoul in the South Korean K-League.- Early life :Damjanović was born in the town of Mostar, SFR Yugoslavia on 27 July 1981....

 Dženan Radončić
Dženan Radoncic
Dženan Radončić is a Montenegrin football player playing for K-League side Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in South Korea....

 Ognjen Koroman
Ognjen Koroman
Ognjen Koroman is a Serbian international footballer. He plays for Krylia Sovetov Samara-Career:...

 Radivoje Manic Dragan Mladenović
Dragan Mladenovic
Dragan Mladenović , , is a professional footballer.Mladenović, an international for Serbia and Montenegro , joined Rangers from Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade for £1m in August 2004. He made his Rangers debut in a UEFA Champions League qualifier against CSKA Moscow...


Sebastjan Cimirotič
Sebastjan Cimirotic
Sebastjan Cimirotič aka Cime is a Slovenian football player, who currently plays for FC Ljubljana. He played for Slovenia national football team and was a participant at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.-Club career:...

 Alpay Özalan
Alpay Özalan
Alpay Fehmi Özalan is a former Turkish footballer.Alpay is currently a member of the management committee of Siirtspor.-Playing style:...

 Choi Hyo-Jin Choi Tae-Uk
Choi Tae-Uk
Choi Tae-Uk is a South Korean football player who plays for FC Seoul. He made his debut in the 2000 K-league season.-Career:Choi is a natural winger well known for his great speed...

 Im Joong-Yong Kim Chi-Woo
Kim Chi-Woo
Kim Chi-Woo is a South Korean football player who currently plays for Sangju Sangmu Phoenix in K-League.-Club career:...

 Lee Jung-Soo
Lee Jung-Soo
Lee Jung-Soo is a South Korean professional association football player who plays as a center back. He is currently playing for Al-Sadd in Qatar and a member of the South Korea national football team....

 Lee Keun-Ho
Lee Keun-Ho
Lee Keun-ho is a South Korean football player who currently plays for Japanese club Gamba Osaka in the J. League Division 1.-Personal life:...

 Woo Sung-Yong Yoo Byung-Soo
Yoo Byung-Soo
Yoo Byung-Soo is a South Korean football Striker. He is known as "Ronaldo of Wolmido", because of his spinless free-kick that resembles that of Cristiano Ronaldo's....



Managers

Name Start End
  Werner Lorant
Werner Lorant
Werner Lorant is a former German football player and manager.-Playing career:The defender and defensive midfielder commenced his professional career 1970 in the second division with Westfalia Herne. 1971 he moved to Borussia Dortmund. There he was part of a side that lost 1-11 against Bayern...

September 24, 2003 August 31, 2004
  Chang Woe-Ryong
Chang Woe-Ryong
Chang Woe-Ryong is a South Korean football manager, who is at present the official manager of Chinese Super League club Qingdao Jonoon.He was confirmed as permanent manager of Incheon United in January 2005, after taking over as caretaker manager in September 2004 following the resignation of...

 (Temporary)
August 31, 2004 January 3, 2005
  Chang Woe-Ryong
Chang Woe-Ryong
Chang Woe-Ryong is a South Korean football manager, who is at present the official manager of Chinese Super League club Qingdao Jonoon.He was confirmed as permanent manager of Incheon United in January 2005, after taking over as caretaker manager in September 2004 following the resignation of...

January 3, 2005 January 25, 2007
  Park I-Cheon (Temporary) January 25, 2007 December 20, 2007
  Chang Woe-Ryong
Chang Woe-Ryong
Chang Woe-Ryong is a South Korean football manager, who is at present the official manager of Chinese Super League club Qingdao Jonoon.He was confirmed as permanent manager of Incheon United in January 2005, after taking over as caretaker manager in September 2004 following the resignation of...

December 20, 2007 December 9, 2008
Ilija Petković
Ilija Petkovic
Ilija Petković is a retired Serbian footballer. Since the early 1990s he's been a football manager, his most notable appointment being with the Serbia and Montenegro national football team.-Playing career:He started playing football for Dinara Knin...

January 29, 2009 June 8, 2010
  Kim Bong-Kil
Kim Bong-Kil
Kim Bong-Gil is a South Korean football coach and former player. He is currently in charge of Incheon United.-External links:*...

 (Temporary)
June 27, 2010 August 22, 2010
  Huh Jung-Moo
Huh Jung-Moo
Huh Jung-Moo is a former Korean football player and currently manages Incheon United.-Football career:Huh played for PSV Eindhoven and Hyundai Horang-i as midfielder...

August 22, 2010

Shirt sponsors and manufacturers

Year Kit SupplierMain Shirt SponsorSecondary Sponsor
2004 Puma
PUMA AG
Puma SE, officially branded as PUMA, is a major German multinational company that produces high-end athletic shoes, lifestyle footwear and other sportswear. Formed in 1924 as Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik by Adolf and Rudolf Dassler, relationships between the two brothers deteriorated until the two...

 
GM Daewoo
GM Daewoo
GM Korea Company is South Korea's second largest automobile manufacturer and is a division of the General Motors Company. GM Korea's roots go back to the former Daewoo which was split from its parent company, Daewoo Group, in 2001...

 
None
2005
2006
2007 Shinhan Bank
Shinhan Bank
Shinhan Bank , is a bank, headquartered in Seoul, Korea. Historically it was the first bank in Korea, established under the name Hanseong Bank in 1897. The bank was reestablished in 1982. It is part of the Shinhan Financial Group, along with Jeju Bank...

2008
2009
2010 Shinhan Bank
Shinhan Bank
Shinhan Bank , is a bank, headquartered in Seoul, Korea. Historically it was the first bank in Korea, established under the name Hanseong Bank in 1897. The bank was reestablished in 1982. It is part of the Shinhan Financial Group, along with Jeju Bank...

None
2011

External links

Incheon United Official Site Incheon United Official Twitter Incheon United at ROKfootball.com Incheon United FC Supporters Union 'MEET YOU HALL BOYS' Incheon United FC Ultras Group 'ULTRAS HAWK'
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK