Chonburi F.C.

Chonburi Football Club () is a Thai professional football club based in the city of Chonburi, Chonburi province, that competes in the first division in Thai football, Thai League 1, after promotion in the 2024–25 season. The team lifted the league title in 2007 which became the most successful season in their history.

Chonburi were founded in 1997 and their main rivals were Sriracha who were also based in Chonburi Province prior to their move and subsequent dissolution. The team is widely known by their nickname ''"The Sharks"'' which can be seen in the crest of the club.

History

Early years

In its early years, Chonburi Football Club was Assumption College Sriracha's football team. The team was managed by Annop Singtothong, Thanasak Suraprasert, Sontaya Khunpluem, and Wittaya Khunpluem. The team competed and were victorious in many youth tournaments, one of them including the Institute of Physical Education's youth football tournament.

In 1996, Sannibat Samut Prakan Association competed in the Khǒr Royal Cup and came in second place. The directors of the football team then negotiated for a merger which resulted in the creation of Chonburi-Sannibat Samut Prakan Football Club. The team then competed in Thai Division 1 League or Thai League 2 today.

Provincial League

Later, the Chonburi Sports Association had been given the chance to compete in the Provincial League in 2000. As a result, Chonburi's provincial football team was separated from Chonburi-Sannibat Samut Prakan Football Club which competed in Thai Division 1 League. The team that competed in the Provincial League acquired their players from Assumption College Sriracha and Chulabhon's College Chonburi. They ended their first season in the Provincial League in third place.

First major success

In 2005, Chonburi won the Provincial League title by beating Nakhon Ratchasima at the Nakhon Ratchasima Municipal Stadium, and gained promotion to the Thai Premier League in the 2006 season with the Provincial League runners up, Suphanburi. This title was the first major success of the club. Chonburi then finished 8th in the 2006 Thai Premier League season.

In 2006, Chonburi were invited by Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to play in the 2006 Singapore Cup and reached the cup final, defeating local sides Home United, Albirex Niigata (S) and Balestier Khalsa along the way. In the final, they lost 2–3 to Tampines Rovers in extra time after leading 2–0.

In 2007, Chonburi were again invited to participate in the 2007 Singapore Cup, but were defeated in the first round against Balestier Khalsa, in a replay of the previous season's semi-finals. Chonburi lost 3–2 in normal play. They have formed links with Manchester City. In the end of this season Chonburi become Thailand Premier League champions for the 2007 season. This was the first trophy in major league for the club and head coach Jadet Meelarp won the 'Coach of the Year' awards and Pipob On-Mo got 'Player of the Year' awards. The club qualified to the 2008 AFC Champions League after winning the league.

In July 2008, Chonburi made another important big step into the future. In addition, the previous sponsor, Hemaraj Land and Development PLC signed a major sponsorship deal which comes into force from 2009. The contract will run for three years and will amount to the sum of 18 million baht (about 350,000 Euros). This may indeed be the largest completed sponsorship of a Thai football club which was ever completed.

At the end of the 2008 season, there was only enough for runner-up. The main reason for this was certainly the profligacy. With two games left in the season you still on the first place in the table, but a 0–0 draw against Samut Songkhram made to naught in the penultimate round of the dream title defense. Jadet Meelarp was dismissed. His successor is officially announced in mid-December 2008. Kiatisuk Senamuang, known as ''Zico'', was appointed coach of Chonburi.

AFC Champuons League debut

In 2008, the club played in their debut 2008 AFC Champions League season where in its first game against the Japanese champions Gamba Osaka on 12 March, where the team was seconds away from their first ever win on their debut match in the tournament, however opponent Lucas Severino scored the equaliser for the opponent at 1–1 which would see Chonburi registered their first point in the tournament. On 20 March, the club achieved its first victory in the AFC Champions League against Melbourne Victory. The game was clouded by controversy when Melbourne Victory scored their only goal whilst a Chonburi player was down injured and his teammates were calling for the ball to be played off the park. It mattered little when Cameroonian striker Jules Baga scored a goal from 35 yards out and then followed it up with a second goal in extra time to condemn the Melbourne Victory to their first loss in the competition 3–1.

As the league runner-up in 2008, Chonburi qualified for the 2009 AFC Cup and was drawn in a group with Hanoi ACB (Vietnam), Eastern AA (Hong Kong) and Kedah FA (Malaysia). Chonburi has to call to mind the Zeil set to be first in the group and win the AFC Cup in Thailand. The group stage was confident survived with only one defeat in six games. In the second round Chonburi PSMS Medan in Indonesia defeated 4–1 before retired in the quarter-finals against the Vietnam representative Bình Dương 2–4. The game against Medan was also the last game of Surat Sukha, who moved to Melbourne Victory.

During the ending of the 2009 season, the club ended up as the league runner-up again. At the end of 2008, they had 2 points behind the champions, 2009, there were 3 points. Kiatisuk Senamuang changed at the end of the season to Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, the association in Vietnam where he was active as a player last. His successor in Chonburi was Jadet Meelarp, which had been released a year earlier. At his side, his former boss Witthaya Laohakul was provided as technical director of the club. Unlike other top clubs in the league but vorzuweisen Chonburi had hardly known commitments for the 2010 season. Only Therdsak Chaiman you can probably fit into this category. The 36-year-old was last in the Thailand national football team his comeback from Singapore and moved to Chonburi. Although the club was again runner-up, but this is not automatically eligible in the 2009 season to participate in the 2010 AFC Cup. Instead, the Cup Winners' Cup in Thailand directly qualified for the competition. Already in the second round of the Thai FA Cup retired from the Chonburi.

Academy & youth program

Chonburi is well known for producing football talent as well as using their youth players in the first team. In the 2007 Thailand Premier League in which they have been crowned champions, over 80% of their first-team players came from their youth program. However, in the past, their youth players stayed at boarding schools in Chonburi province such as Assumption College Sriracha and Chulabhon's College Chonburi.

Today, Chonburi has a football academy where academy players train and live every day at. The idea of creating a football academy was spearheaded by former Chonburi head coach and current technical director Witthaya Laohakul, who stressed the importance of creating and producing quality football players for the first-team. In 2009, Chonburi decided to remodel its academy and youth program by building an actual football academy in Ban Bueng District. The new academy is located far away from Chonburi surrounded by paddy fields and was once rented out to JMG Academy. In addition, this new football academy includes a dormitory and football training facilities for the academy players.

Chonburi recruits academy players by scouting them from tournaments as well as offering trials. Worachit Kanitsribampen is one of the first successful players to come out of Chonburi's newly restructured academy. As of 2025, Chonburi Academy are one of only four academies in Southeast Asia to be conferred a Two-Star academy status alongside Johor Darul Ta'zim Academy, NFDP Mokhtar Dahari Academy in Malaysia and Lion City Sailors Academy in Singapore.

Affiliated clubs

* Vissel Kobe (2012)
:Chonburi announced a business partnership between Vissel Kobe of the J1 League in 2012. The deal will facilitate player and staff exchanges both at the professional and youth level, as well as friendly matches, the creation of new football schools, and marketing opportunities.

Stadium

At the start of the 2008 season, Chonburi used the Chonburi Municipality Stadium plays in the 5,000-seater in Chonburi. Due to disagreements with the local authorities, the club wore its home games from 2008 of the Princess Sirindhorn Stadium. For the games of the 2008 AFC Champions League you had to dodge into the National Stadium, which was also used for matches in the 2009 AFC Cup Bangkok. For the 2010 season, the club will return to Chonburi and will host its home games at the renovated Chonburi Sports College Stadium.

In 2010 season they moved to IPE Chonburi Stadium. In 2011 season they move to Chonburi Stadium after renovate the stadium for played in the AFC Cup, and Thai League.

Stadium and locations

Continental record

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

*TL = Thai League
*T1 = Thai League 1
*T2 = Thai League 2

*DQ = Disqualified
*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

Current squad

Out on loan

Former players

''For details on former players, see List of Chonburi F.C. players and :Chonburi F.C. players.''

List of Chonburi managers

''Chonburi F.C. managers by Years (2004–present)''

* Witthaya Laohakul
* Jadet Meelarp
* Kiatisuk Senamuang
* Jadet Meelarp
* Witthaya Laohakul
* Masahiro Wada
* Jadet Meelarp
* Therdsak Chaiman
* Goran Barjaktarević
* Jukkapant Punpee
* Sasom Pobprasert
* Adul Lahsoh (interim)
* Makoto Teguramori
* Nutthawut Vijitwetchakarn (interim)
* Witthaya Laohakul (interim)
* Pipob On-Mo
* Sinthaweechai Hathairattanakool (interim)
* Thawatchai Damrong-Ongtrakul
* Teerasak Po-on

Honours

League

* Thai League 1
**Winners (1): 2007
**Runners-up (5): 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014
* Thai League 2
**Winners (1): 2024–25
*Provincial League:
**Winners (1): 2005

Cups

*FA Cup
**Winners (2): 2010, 2016
**Runners-up (2): 2014, 2020–21
* Kor Royal Cup:
**Winners (4): 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012

References

External links

*

Official Website

{{Thai football champions

Thai League 1 clubs
Thai FA Cup winners
Football clubs in Thailand
Sport in Chonburi province
Association football clubs established in 1997
1997 establishments in Thailand