Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Football Club (Korean: 전북 현대 모터스 축구클럽) are a professional football club based in Jeonju, Jeonbuk, South Korea. They won the AFC Champions League title in 2006, becoming the first club from East Asia to win the tournament since the AFC Champions League was launched in its current format in 2003. This title guaranteed Jeonbuk's participation in the FIFA Club World Cup in December 2006.
Jeonbuk's best domestic performances have often been reserved for the Korean FA Cup and they are one of only two clubs to have won the competition on more than one occasion (in 2000, 2003, 2005). The club's color is green which is also the color of Jeonbuk Province. Jeonbuk have been playing at the 42,477 capacity Jeonju World Cup Stadium (nicknamed Jeonju Castle) since 2002.
Jeonbuk FC was founded in January 1993 under the original name of Wansan FC. Oh Hyung-Kun was the founder of the team, which was the first team to be named after a home location in the history of the K-League.
However, Oh was not able to raise enough funds and Wansan FC went into bankruptcy before they could take their place in the Korean League. Many people were eager to keep their club and Bobae Ltd., a local alcohol manufacturer, fortunately offered financial support to the club. The club joined the Korean League in 1994 after changing its name to 'Jeonbuk Buffalo FC'. The team began losing money and did not live up to expectations, even though there was a heavy fan support. Jeonbuk Buffalo was entrusted to the KPFL, and Hyundai Motors took over JeonbukFC on December 12, 1994.
Since 1993, Jeonbuk have not seriously challenged for the Korean League title, often languishing in mid-table. After Choi Gang-hee was appointed manager in July 2005, Jeonbuk won the Korean FA Cup in December of that year. In 2006, Jeonbuk finished a disappointing eleventh in the Korean League, however the season had a surprising ending, as Jeonbuk won their first AFC Champions Cup final in Homs, Syria. En route to the final they defeated the champions of Japan and China, Gamba Osaka and Dalian Shide, and they also beat Ulsan Horang-i, the champion of Korea, in the semi-final. They triumphed 3-2 on aggregate over Al-Karama, the champion of Syria, in the final.
Choi Kang-Hee
Edmilson Dias de Lucena
Raphael Jose Botti
Milton Rodriguez
