CLUB PROFILE: POHANG STEELERS FORGING THE FUTURE KOREA REPUBLIC’S POHANG STEELERS ARE THE ONLY CLUB TO HAVE BEEN CROWNED CHAMPIONS OF ASIA ON THREE OCCASIONS. NOW WITH RENEWED FOCUS ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR ONE OF ASIA’S MOST SUCCESSFUL CLUBS. By: Daniel Pordes Photos: World Sport Group/Courtesy of Pohang Steelers AFC QUARTERLY 59 CLUB PROFILE: POHANG STEELERS ith a shade over boast more league titles. change, this time to the present-day moniker we’d lose matches.” Top Left Above enjoyed a fairy tale campaign and beat Saudi Pohang Steelers celebrate With a 2-1 win over Al 520,000 residents, Pohang’s history of success, though, was of the Steelers, that brought them crashing And Hwang Sun-hong’s confidence was lifting the 16th Asian Club Ittihad of Saudi Arabia, Arabia’s Al Ittihad 2-1 in the final to claim the industrial city of forged in the city’s close ties with heavy onto the wider Asian scene. merited as Park Ji-ho’s title-winning penalty Championship in 1997. Pohang Steelers became their Asian crown. Pohang that lies in industry and in particular POSCO, one of the Led by the powerful trio of sweeper Hong deep into extra-time handed Pohang their the first three-time Asian A third place at the FIFA World Club Cup Bottom Left champions after winning the south-east of the world’s largest steelmakers. Myung-bo, winger Park Tae-ha, and forward first continental championship following a 2-1 Pohang won the Asian Club the 2009 AFC Champions followed in December, but Farias soon Korean peninsula Known as Pohang Iron and Steel Hwang Sun-hong, the Steelers reached the victory. Championship again in 1998. League. departed the club to signal a new era for the is neither big nor Company when it was founded in 1968, final of the 16th Asian Club Championship, Steelers; one with a focus on youth. beautiful. POSCO founder and first president Park where they met compatriots and defending “During that period, Although Hong and Bogdanovic were no “POSCO began a renewed investment in But without question, when it comes to Tae-joon was a keen football enthusiast and champions Seongnam. we were confident in longer with the side having left for clubs in the Pohang academy from the early 2000s footballing history and success, the citizens of swiftly laid the groundwork for the formation Pohang, though, were without the ourselves and felt no Japan, a young striker and future national as there was a genuine desire to see more WPohang can lay a confident claim at being the of an amateur team on April 1973 with services of Hwang Sun-hong who had been team icon, Lee Dong-gook, had joined Park players coming through the youth system,” preeminent power in the Korean game. the POSCO Football Club, initially called ruled out with one of the many injuries that pressure in games – we Tae-ha and Hwang Sun-hong as the stars said club president Jang Sung-hwan. Represented by the famous black and red POSCO Dolphins. would blight an otherwise stellar career for knew our qualities and of the team. “It was decided that while foreign players striped shirts of Pohang Steelers, the city is And Park’s ambition did not have to wait club and country. simply didn’t think we’d And after a goalless 120 minutes, the can help the level of competitiveness of the home to one of the giants of the K-League and long for the first sign of silverware for his “At that time, Pohang was one of the tie went to penalties and Hwang Sun-hong team, the cost often outweighs the benefit. with an honours list to match. side as the following year the Dolphins strongest sides around. We had many star lose matches.” converted the first spot-kick for his side en The initial outlay in terms of scouting, The first and so far only club to be crowned won the 22nd President’s Cup, before they players like me, Hong Myung-bo, one of the route to a 6-5 victory. transfer fee and wages for foreign players three-time Asian champions when they added clinched the second tier league title in 1982. best foreign players in the league in Rade Former Pohang Steelers However, the beginning of the new can be very high, and there is no guarantee the 2009 AFC Champions League trophy Within three years the side had turned Bogdanovic, and six or seven others who player and current head millennium was punctuated by near misses they can adapt themselves to the K-League to back-to-back victories in the Asian Club professional and became the POSCO Atoms were all part of the Korea Republic national as Pohang finished runner-up in the FA or with the team. Championship in 1997 and 1998, there are with a first domestic title coming in 1986 team at the time,” said Hwang Sun-hong, coach Cup in 2001 and 2002, whilst also missing “Results are always important, of course, none from Beirut to Brisbane who can match and second and third pieces of silverware in who began his professional career at Hwang Sun-hong out on the championship in 2004. but developing the players of the future and their continental achievements. 1988 and 1992. Pohang in 1993, before returning as head Under Brazilian coach Sergio Farias, ensuring the sustainable long-term success On top of that, five Korean league titles since Pohang’s domestic success continued as coach in 2011. A little more than a year later, Hwang Sun- though, Pohang did reclaim the K-League of the club through youth development is just 1986 and a record four Korean FA Cup trophies they went on to win the Korean League Cup “During that period, we were confident in hong and his side were back in the final to face title in 2007 and returned to the throne of as important, if not more so.” underline their pedigree, with only Seongnam and FA Cup in 1992 and 1996, but it was ourselves and felt no pressure in games – Chinese champions Dalian Wanda and this Asian football with success in the 2009 With the academy set up over 20 years FC, formerly Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, able to the following year, and with it a third name- we knew our qualities and simply didn’t think time the national team forward was fit to start. AFC Champions League as the Steelers ago, and now forming part of the Posco AFC QUARTERLY 61 CLUB PROFILE: POHANG STEELERS Far left Kim Seung-dae Left The club’s $150 million clubhouse complex. Above 2014 AFC Champions League Top Right Pohang Steelers President Jang Sung-hwan Right Hwang Hee-chan Bottom Right Coach Hwang Sun-hong Bottom Left Youth team Education Foundation that includes a Middle August. head coach Lee Chang-won School, a High School, and Pohang Industrial “Results are always Moon Chang-jin, 21, and Lee Gwang- High School, Pohang’s youth set-up is the important, but hyeok, 19, now members of Pohang’s oldest in Korea, another part of the legacy of developing the players first-team squad, were Lee’s first Park Tae-joon. graduates, although 18-year-old striker Taking in players from the age of 10-years- of the future and Hwang Hee-chan, the 2012 AFC U-16 old, the residents of the academy are divided ensuring the sustainable 2012 Championship golden boot winner, is into U-12, U-15 and U-18 sides, with 10 long-term success tipped to soon follow. coaches overseeing 120 young prospects. of the club is just as Fed by their productive youth system, Lee Chang-won, a graduate of the Pohang and with the legendary Hwang Sun-hong academy, is the head coach of the youth important, if not more now at the helm, Pohang’s senior team team and has been since 2011 after his so.” have continued to add to their bulging retirement from a playing career in 2009 led to trophy cabinet with the first-ever domestic a successful spell as Pohang’s reserve team Pohang Steelers President double in 2013 and now all eyes are on a coach. return to continental glory. “With the club’s focus on domestic players Jang Sung-hwan “Pohang has changed a lot in my time and youth development, the young players with the club. In the past we were focused and prospective talents here understand that if system in recent years such as Lee Myung- on star players, but now it’s on building they work hard and progress through our youth joo, Lee Dong-gook, Kim Seung-dae and Shin a team and developing our youth,” said team, there’s a good chance to get into the Hwa-yong.” Hwang Sun-hong. senior Pohang side directly,” said Lee Chang- And under the 39-year-old coach, Pohang’s “While the past is important, so is won. youth sides have enjoyed unprecedented our future. Pohang was the start of my “There’s a lot of history at this club in terms success, having won the K League U-18 professional career and they gave me so of youth development, so we are able to bring Challenge League in consecutive years from many opportunities and experiences that in the best coaches and prospects. As a result 2011 to 2013, while they also claimed the I’d like to pay them back by making them many stars have come through the youth President’s Cup for the first time since 1999 in the top team in Asia once again.” AFC QUARTERLY 62 AFC QUARTERLY 63.