Chiangrai United Football Club (

Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...

: สโมสรฟุตบอลเชียงราย ยูไนเต็ด) is a professional

Football Club A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all- ...

based in Chiangrai Province. The club plays in the

Thai League 1 The Thai League 1 ( th, ไทยลีก 1), often referred to as T1, is the top level of the Thai football league system. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Thai League 2. Seasons run from August ...

. The club is also known as The Beetles.

History

First years

In 2009, Chiangrai United joined the new Thai football setup and started at the 3rd level,

2009 Regional League Division 2 Northern Region 2009 Regional League Division 2 Northern Region ( th, ลีกภูมิภาค ภาคเหนือ or ไทยลีกดิวิชัน 2 ภาคเหนือ) is the 3rd Level League in Thailand. In 2009, contains 11 clubs fr ...

. Chiangrai duly came out on top come to the end of the regular league season, thus claiming their first-ever championship and also crowned as the first-ever winners of the Regional League Northern Division. On winning the championship, Chiangrai entered the

2009 Regional League Division 2 2009 Regional League Division 2 was contested by the five regional league winners of the 3rd level championships of Thailand. Five teams met on a home and away basis, with the top three teams gaining promotion to the Thai 1st Division for the 20 ...

, an end of season mini-league for all 5

Regional League Division 2 Thai League 4 ( th, ไทยลีก 4), commonly known as the T4, was the fourth level association football league in Thailand. In 2009, it was divided into five groups by geographic region. Each group contained 16 clubs except for the Southe ...

championship-winning teams, and finished as runners-up and promoted to

Thai Division 1 League Thai League 2 ( th, ไทยลีก 2), commonly known as the T2, formally called Thai Division 1 League, is the second-tier professional league in the Thai football league system. The top 3 are promoted to Thai League 1 at the end of the s ...

Second Division and League 1 Promotion

In 2010, the club finished 3rd in

and first-ever promoted to the top tier

. Chiangrai United opened its first youth academies in 2012. In 2016, Chiangrai United made a deal with Jarken Group to the strong brand and initiating a holistic marketing strategy which included business development and strengthening management structures to promote a positive image of the Chiangrai United Sports Passions as a brand to make Chiangrai United become professional and sustainable. The strategy for this deal is to design to promote Chaing Rai United to become the big name club in Thailand.

2017 & 2018 – FA Cup winners

In 2017, the club continued to make agreements with sponsors to improve the club's professional image and attract Tanaboon Kesarat. They also secured players such as; Vander Luiz,

Felipe Azevedo Felipe Azevedo dos Santos (born 10 January 1987), known as Felipe Azevedo, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for América Mineiro as an attacking midfielder. Honours ;Sport Recife *Copa do Nordeste: 2014 ;Chiangrai United * Thai FA Cup: ...

Henrique Silva Henrique Silva Milagres (born 25 April 1994), commonly known as Henrique, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Ligue 1 club Lyon. Career Vasco da Gama Henrique joined Vasco da Gama in 2003. He played for the c ...

. Under Brazilian coach

Alexandre Gama Alexandre Torreira da Gama Lima Casado (born 4 January 1968) is a Brazilian football manager He is the currently manager Thai League 1 club of Lamphun Warriors. Playing career As a player, ''Alexandre Gama'' was known as "GAMA", started his c ...

, The Beetles was victorious in the

2017 FA Cup Final The 2017 FA Cup Final was an association football match between London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea on 27 May 2017 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. It was the 136th FA Cup final overall of English football's primary cup competition, the Foot ...

with

Bangkok United True Bangkok United Football Club ( th, สโมสรฟุตบอลทรู แบงค็อก ยูไนเต็ด) is a Thai professional football club based in Pathum Thani province. Formerly known as Bangkok University Foot ...

. This proved to be a case of redemption for Chiangrai as winning the first piece of silverware in club-history, three days after losing to

Muangthong United Muangthong United Football Club ( th, สโมสรฟุตบอลเมืองทอง ยูไนเต็ด) is a Thai professional football club based in Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi province. The club plays in the Thai League ...

in the League Cup final. In 2018, the club attracted Lee Yong-Rae and

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

. Chiangrai defeated the

2017 Liga 1 The 2017 Liga 1, also known as Go-Jek Traveloka Liga 1 for sponsorship reasons, was the inaugural season of Liga 1 under its current name and the eighth season of the top-flight Indonesian professional league for association football clubs since ...

runners-up Bali United 3–2 in a qualifying preliminary round 2 and losing the

2017 Chinese Super League The 2017 Ping An Chinese Football Association Super League () was the 14th season since the establishment of the Chinese Super League. The league title sponsor is Ping An Insurance. Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao won their seventh consecutive title o ...

to runners-up Shanghai SIPG 1–0 in a qualifying play-offs round for the

AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League (abbreviated as ACL) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition ...

group stages. In

2018 FA Cup Final The 2018 FA Cup Final was an association football match between Manchester United and Chelsea on 19 May 2018 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. It was the 137th FA Cup final overall and was the showpiece match of English football's primary cu ...

, The Beetles weathered certain things

winners

Buriram United Buriram United Football Club ( th, สโมสรฟุตบอลบุรีรัมย์ ยูไนเต็ด) is a professional football club based in Buriram, Thailand. The club has played at the top level of Thai football for the ...

could hurl at them at Supachalasai Stadium to record a 3–2 victory, a hat-trick by

2019 – League 1 title

Chiangrai defeated the

2018 Myanmar National League The 2018 Myanmar National League, also known as the 2018 MPT Myanmar National League, is the 9th season of the Myanmar National League, the top Burmese professional league for association football clubs since its founding in 2009. The departure o ...

champions

Yangon United Yangon United Football Club ( my, ရန်ကုန် ယူနိုက်တက် ဘောလုံးအသင်း ) is a Burmese football club, based at Yangon United Sports Complex, in Yangon, Myanmar. Owned by Tay Za, a prominent Burme ...

3–1 in a qualifying preliminary round 2 and drew the

2018 J1 League The 2018 J1 League, also known as the for sponsorship reasons, was the 26th season of J1 League, the top Japanese professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1993. Kawasaki Frontale were the defending champi ...

runners-up

Sanfrecce Hiroshima Sanfrecce Hiroshima ( ja, サンフレッチェ広島, translit=''Sanfuretche Hiroshima'') is a Japanese professional football club based in Asaminami-ku, Hiroshima. The club plays in the J1 League, which is the top tier of football in the coun ...

in a qualifying play-offs round for the

group stages; the match finished 0–0 after extra time, with Chiangrai losing the penalty shoot-out 4–3 at

Hiroshima Big Arch The , known under current sponsorship as , is a multi-purpose stadium in Hiroshima, Japan. It used mostly for association football matches and also for athletics. The venue is the home of J. League club Sanfrecce Hiroshima. It has a capacity of ...

. In October 2019, after the announcement of the appointment of

Ailton dos Santos Silva Ailton dos Santos Silva (born 31 October 1966) is a Brazilian football manager. Managerial career Born in São Paulo, Silva began his managerial career at São Paulo Futebol Center, a São Paulo youth system based in Osasco, in 1996. In 2005, he ...

as the new head coach, The Beetles won the

for the first time. Chiangrai United and

ended up with identical 58 points from 30 matches. However, they were declared the winners of the league on the basis of a better head-to-head record, Chiangrai held Buriram to a goalless draw away in the first leg in April then thrashed the northeastern giants 4 to nothing at home in July, Chiangrai United is the third to win the top flight after Buriram and Muangthong since the country's premier tournament was revamped in 2009. The side is commented to fare well in most big games, with compactness and discipline springing surprises. Instead of being burdened with keeping possession, they stifled opponents with a rehearsed repertoire of both defensive and pressing moves, topped off with lethal counter-attacks.

Academy development

Chiangrai United opened its first youth academies in 2012. The club also regularly supplies the Thai national youth teams and Chiangrai first team squad with local talent such as

Ekanit Panya Ekanit Panya ( th, เอกนิษฐ์ ปัญญา, born 21 October 1999) is a Thai professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a winger for J1 League club Urawa Reds, on loan from Thai League 1 club Muangthong Unite ...

, Chotipat Poomkaew, Apirak Worawong, Pharadon Pattanapol, Sarawut Yodyinghathaikul and Thakdanai Jaihan. Chiangrai youth academies play in Thailand Youth League.

Shirt sponsor

Stadium

''Main articles:

Leo Chiangrai Stadium Leo Chiangrai Stadium () is a stadium in Ban Du, Mueang Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of Chiangrai United. The stadium has a capacity of 11,354 people and ...

Mae Fah Luang University Stadium Mae Fah Luang University Stadium ( th, สนามฟุตบอลมหาวิทยาลัยแม่ฟ้าหลวง) is a multi-purpose stadium in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is currently used mostly for football matches. ...

'' Chiangrai United's home ground is the United Stadium of Chiangrai, which has also been known as the

since October 2021 due to sponsorship commitments. The stadium is situated in Chiang Rai Province,

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

. The Leo Chiangrai Stadium is near

Mae Fah Luang International Airport Mae Fah Luang - Chiang Rai International Airport ( th, ท่าอากาศยานแม่ฟ้าหลวง เชียงราย, ) is in the city of Chiang Rai in northern Thailand. The airport is about 8 km from the city ...

and has a capacity of 11,354 people.

Locations by season

Continental record

Performance in AFC competitions

: 5 appearances *:

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

: Play-off round *:

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

: Play-off round *:

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

: Group stage *:

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

: Group stage *:

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

: Group stage

Season by season record

*P = Played *W = Games won *D = Games drawn *L = Games lost *F = Goals for *A = Goals against *Pts = Points *Pos = Final position *N/A = No answer *TL =

*QR1 = First Qualifying Round *QR2 = Second Qualifying Round *QR3 = Third Qualifying Round *QR4 = Fourth Qualifying Round *RInt = Intermediate Round *R1 = Round 1 *R2 = Round 2 *R3 = Round 3 *R4 = Round 4 *R5 = Round 5 *R6 = Round 6 *GR = Group stage *QF = Quarter-finals *SF = Semi-finals *RU = Runners-up *S = Shared *W = Winners

Players

First team squad

Out on loan

Managerial history

* Sarith Wutchuay *

Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul ( th, ธวัชชัย ดำรงค์อ่องตระกูล; ; born June 25, 1974) is a Thai football manager and former player. he is the current technical director Thai League 1 club of PT Prachuap ...

* Apisit Imampai * Kajohn Punnaves * Rungsimun Songkrohtham * Stefano Cugurra Teco *

Henk Wisman Henk Wisman (born 19 May 1957) is a Dutch football manager. He who was the coach of the Armenia national football team for about a year. Club career Wisman was born in Amsterdam. He began his career at AFC Ajax, having played in their youth syste ...

Anurak Srikerd Anurak Srikerd ( th, อนุรักษ์ ศรีเกิด) is a Thai football coach and former footballer. He primary played as an attacking midfielder and was able to adapt as a striker. Besides, He is a former player of Thailand na ...

Teerasak Po-on Teerasak Po-on ( th, ธีระศักดิ์ โพธิ์อ้น; born 18 May 1978) is a Thai professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player, who is the current manager of Thai Le ...

Jose Alves Borges Jose Alves Borges is a Brazilian football manager, who currently manages Nagaworld of the C-League. He is known to have managed many other successful teams especially in the Thai Premier League. He was named the Best Head Coach by the Thai Premi ...

* Masami Taki * Emerson Pereira (caretaker) * Emerson Pereira *

Gabriel Magalhães Gabriel dos Santos Magalhães (; born 19 December 1997), also simply known as Gabriel, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as centre-back for Premier League club Arsenal and the Brazil national team. Club career Avaí Gabriel Ma ...

Honours

Domestic competitions

League

:: Winners (1) :

:: Third place (1):

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

* Regional League Northern Region :: Winners (1) :

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

:: Runners-up (1):

Cups

FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...

:: Winners (3) :

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

2020–21 The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...

* League Cup :: Winners (1) :

:: Runners-up (1):

* Thailand Champions Cup :: Winners (2) :

:: Runners-up (1):

Double

:: Thai FA Cup and Thailand Champions Cup: 2020–21

Treble

::Thai FA Cup, Thai League Cup and Thailand Champions Cup: 2018

References

External links

Official Website chiangraiunited football club
{{Thai football champions Thai League 1 clubs Football clubs in Thailand Association football clubs established in 2009 Sport in Chiang Rai province 2009 establishments in Thailand