Pohang Steelers

The Steelers were founded on 1 April 1973 as POSCO FC, named after the steel company POSCO, which still owns the club today. They are one of South Korea's most successful teams, having won the K League five times and the AFC Champions League three times.

Pohang Steelers

Full name	Football Club Pohang Steelers 포항 스틸러스 프로축구단
Founded	1 April 1973; 51 years ago (1 April 1973) (as POSCO FC)
Ground	Pohang Steel Yard
Capacity	17,443
Owner	POSCO
Chairman	Shin Young-gwon
Manager	Park Tae-ha
League	K League 1
2023	K League 1, 2nd of 12
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

The club was founded on 1 April 1973 as Pohang Iron & Steel Company FC, or simply POSCO FC. 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. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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. The Steelers defeated Saudi club Al-Ittihad 2–1 at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Japan to claim the title. 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. 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.

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.

Kit suppliers

As of 22 February 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 Yoon Pyeong-gook 2 DF   KOR Eo Jeong-won 3 DF   KOR Lee Dong-hee 4 DF   KOR Jeon Min-gwang 5 DF   AUS Jonathan Aspropotamitis 6 MF   KOR Kim Jong-woo 7 FW   KOR Kim In-sung 8 MF   BRA Oberdan 9 FW   BRA Jorge Luiz 10 FW   KOR Baek Sung-dong 11 MF   KOR Jo Seong-joon 12 DF   KOR Kim Ryun-seong 13 MF   KOR Yun Suk-ju 14 FW   KOR Heo Yong-joon (vice-captain) 15 MF   KOR Lee Kyu-min 16 MF   KOR Han Chan-hee (vice-captain) 17 MF   KOR Shin Kwang-hoon 18 FW   KOR Kang Hyeon-je 19 MF   KOR Yun Min-ho 20 DF   KOR Park Chan-yong

No. Pos. Nation Player 21 GK   KOR Hwang In-jae 22 MF   KOR Kim Gyu-hyeong 23 MF   KOR Lee Dong-hyeop 27 FW   KOR Jeong Jae-hee 28 MF   KOR Kim Jung-hyun 29 FW   KOR Park Hyeong-woo 30 FW   KOR Yoon Jae-woon 32 GK   KOR Lee Seung-hwan 33 FW   KOR Lee Ho-jae 34 DF   KOR Lee Gyu-baeg 37 MF   KOR Hong Yun-sang 41 GK   KOR Kang Seong-hyeok 55 DF   KOR Choi Hyeon-woong 66 MF   KOR Kim Jun-ho 70 MF   KOR Hwang Seo-woong 77 FW   BRA Wanderson (captain) 88 MF   KOR Kim Dong-jin 89 FW   KOR Kim Myung-jun 90 MF   KOR Kim Dong-min

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK   KOR Kang Hyeon-mu (to Gimcheon Sangmu for military service)

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF   KOR Cho Jae-hoon (to Jeonnam Dragons)

 

Domestic

League

• K League 1
  • Winners (5): 1986, 1988, 1992, 2007, 2013
  • Runners-up (5): 1985, 1987, 1995, 2004, 2023
• Korean National Semi-Professional Football League
  • Winners (5): 1975 Spring, 1981 Fall, 1982, 1986 Fall, 1988 Fall
  • Runners-up (2): 1977, 1989 Spring

Cups

• FA Cup
  • Winners (5): 1996, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2023
  • Runners-up (3): 2001, 2002, 2007
• League Cup
  • Winners (2): 1993, 2009
  • Runners-up (2): 1996, 1997s
• National Football Championship
  • Runners-up (2): 1977, 1985
• President's Cup
  • Winners (1): 1974
  • Runners-up (1): 1989

International

Continental

• AFC Champions League
  • Winners (3): 1996–97, 1997–98, 2009
  • Runners-up (1): 2021
• Asian Super Cup
  • Runners-up (2): 1997, 1998
• A3 Champions Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2005

Worldwide

• FIFA Club World Cup
  • Third place (1): 2009
• Afro-Asian Club Championship
  • Runners-up (2): 1997, 1998

Invitational

• DCM Trophy
  • Winners (1): 1988
  • Runners-up (1): 1989
• King's Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1987

Domestic record

Key

• Tms. = Number of teams
• Pos. = Position in league

AFC Champions League record

All results list Pohang's goal tally first.

Season	Round	Opposition	Home	Away	Agg.
2008	Group E	Adelaide United	0–2	0–1	3rd
		Becamex Binh Duong	0–0	4–1
		Changchun Yatai	2–2	0–1
2009	Group H	Central Coast Mariners	3–2	0–0	1st
		Kawasaki Frontale	1–1	2–0
		Tianjin TEDA	1–0	0–0
	Round of 16	Newcastle Jets	6–0	—	—
	Quarter-final	Bunyodkor	4–1 (a.e.t.)	1–3	5–4
	Semi-final	Umm-Salal	2–0	2–1	4–1
	Final	Al-Ittihad	2–1		—
2010	Group H	Adelaide United	0–0	0–1	2nd
		Sanfrecce Hiroshima	2–1	3–4
		Shandong Luneng	1–0	2–1
	Round of 16	Kashima Antlers	—	1–0	—
	Quarter-final	Zob Ahan	1–1	1–2	2–3
2012	Play-off	Chonburi	2–0	—	—
	Group E	Gamba Osaka	2–0	3–0	3rd
		Bunyodkor	0–2	0–1
		Adelaide United	1–0	0–1
2013	Group G	Beijing Guoan	0–0	0–2	3rd
		Bunyodkor	1–1	2–2
		Sanfrecce Hiroshima	1–1	1–0
2014	Group E	Cerezo Osaka	1–1	2–0	1st
		Buriram United	0–0	2–1
		Shandong Luneng	2–2	4–2
	Round of 16	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	1–0	2–1	3–1
	Quarter-final	FC Seoul	0–0	0–0 (a.e.t.)	0–0 (0–3 p)
2016	Play-off	Hanoi FC	3–0	—	—
	Group H	Guangzhou Evergrande	0–2	0–0	4th
		Urawa Red Diamonds	1–0	1–1
		Sydney FC	0–1	0–1
2021	Group G	Ratchaburi Mitr Phol	2–0	0–0	2nd
		Nagoya Grampus	1–1	0–3
		Johor Darul Ta'zim	4–1	2–0
	Round of 16	Cerezo Osaka	—	1–0	—
	Quarter-final	Nagoya Grampus	3–0		—
	Semi-final	Ulsan Hyundai	1–1 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p)		—
	Final	Al-Hilal	—	0–2	—
2023–24	Group J	Hanoi FC	2–0	4–2	1st
		Wuhan Three Towns	3–1	1–1
		Urawa Red Diamonds	2–1	2–0
	Round of 16	Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	1–1	0–2	1–3