Asian League

Founded : 1954 as Guangzhou Football Team
Ground : Yuexiushan Stadium, Guangzhou (Capacity: 30,000)
Manager :Shen Xiangfu
League : Chinese Super League

Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Football Club (Chinese: 广州医药足球俱乐部) is a football club based in Guangzhou, China currently playing in the Chinese Super League. The club was founded in June, 1954 as Guangzhou Football Team. It became the first professional football club in China after Apollo Group took over the club in January, 1993 and played in Jia-A League as Guangzhou Apollo Football Club. Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Company Limited (GPC) took over the club before the 2006 season and renamed it to Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Football Club. It commonly referred to as Guangzhou GPC (广州广药) and Guangzhou Team (广州队) by the media and fans.

Full name : Shimizu S-Pulse
Nickname(s) : S-Pa
Founded : 1991
Ground : Nihondaira Sports Stadium Shimizu, Shizuoka (Capacity: 20,339) & Shizuoka Stadium Fukuroi, Shizuoka (Capacity: 51,349)
Chairman : Hayao Iwakawa
League : J. League Div.1

Shimizu S-Pulse (清水エスパルス, Shimizu Esuparusu) is a professional Japanese football club. Located in Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, S-Pulse currently competes in the J. League Division 1 (J1). Formed as recently as 1991, S-Pulse are one of the youngest professional teams in Japan, but are among only six to have competed in Japan's top flight of football every year since its inception in 1993. S-Pulse have recorded an average end of season placing of 6.8, which places them fourth behind Kashima Antlers, Yokohama F. Marinos and prefectural rivals, Júbilo Iwata. The club was formed at the advent of the J. League in 1991, and originally consisted of players drawn exclusively from Shizuoka Prefecture; a unique distinction at the time.

Given the club's youth when compared to many of their J1 peers, S-Pulse have had a relatively large impact on Japanese football. Since the game turned professional in 1992, they are one of the most prolific and consistent performers in cup competitions, having made no less than eight final appearances: four times in the Emperor's Cup and four times in the League Cup. Only Japan's most successful professional team, Kashima Antlers, have made more final appearances. They have won both of these competitions once, and have also won Japanese Super Cup twice and the Asian Cup Winners Cup once. The club's most recent cup final was in 2008's League Cup which ended in defeat to Oita Trinita.

Despite the club's cup competition prowess, the J. League Division 1 title has so far eluded them. The closest S-Pulse came was in 1999 when, after winning the league's second stage, they lost out on the title in a penalty shootout. When scores remained level after both legs of the title deciding match, Júbilo Iwata, S-Pulse's local rivals, prevailed. Former S-Pulse and national team player Kenta Hasegawa, who made a substitute appearance in the second leg of this title decider, became club manager in 2005. He has gone on to become the longest serving manager since the clubs foundation, a status reaffirmed at the end of the 2008 season when his contract was extended until 2010.

Nickname(s) : Chunma (Pegasus)
Founded : 1989 (Original), 2000 (Seongnam Ilhwa)
Ground : Tancheon Sports Complex Seongnam, Gyeonggi (Capacity: 16,000)
Chairman : Park Kyu-Nam
League : K-League

The Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma club, founded in 1989, is a professional football team in South Korea. With seven league crowns, it is the most successful K-League club in terms of Championship victories. Controversy has followed the club, however, because of ownership by one of Sun Myung Moon's organizations.

The club is the most successful in Korean football history, having won K-League Championship 7 times with 2 times of third consecutive wins.

Nickname(s) : Gas, "The Gas Men"
Founded : 1935 as Tokyo Gas F.C. 1998 as F.C. Tokyo
Ground : Ajinomoto Stadium Chōfu, Tokyo (Capacity: 50,100)
Chairman : Masahiro Tsubahara
League : J. League Div.1

F.C. Tokyo (FC東京, Efushī Tōkyō?) is a Japanese football (soccer) club playing in J. League Division 1. Its hometown is Tokyo prefecture. The team is one of only four in the J. League to be simply called Football Club without an extended name.

History

The team started as a company team, Tokyo Gas Football Club (東京ガスFC) in 1935. Their first appearance in the national leagues was in 1991, the last season of the old Japan Soccer League. With addition of the Brazilian football player Amaral and the manager Kiyoshi Okuma at the helm, the team gradually became competitive and in 1997, the team placed second, winning the JFL championship the next year. However, at the time the team lacked the necessary qualifications for a promotion to the J1 league and so stayed in J2.

Following this, on October 1, 1998, companies like Tokyo Gas, TEPCO, ampm, TV Tokyo, and Culture Convenience Club, set up a joint company Tokyo Football Club Company with the aim of making the team eligible for joining the J. League. In 1999, the same year the team became eligible, it won the J2 championship and joined the J1 league beginning in the 2000 season. Despite a widespread belief that the team would barely win enough to stay in the J1, the team won four games in a row since its opening game and managed to finish at the 7th spot.

Helped by its winning record, the attendance shot up and it is still above that of well-known Tokyo Verdy 1969 that moved its home town from Kawasaki, Kanagawa in 2001. Since 2002, the team welcomed Hiromi Hara as its manager and aimed for a championship with a strong offense. The 2003 season had the team finish in 4th, its highest ever. In August of the same year, it held a friendly match against one of the greatest football clubs, Real Madrid losing three–nil but gaining valuable experiences both on and off the field for what it takes to be a great football club.

Long-time leader Amaral, nicknamed The King of Tokyo by his fans, departed the team to join Shonan Bellmare in 2004. He was replaced by Athens Olympics national football team player Yasuyuki Konno from Consadole Sapporo. In November of the same year, it won the J. League Yamazaki Nabisco Cup for its first major title since joining the J. League.

Today the main sponsorship is done by ENEOS, another fuel company.

After 10 years of participation in the J. League without a mascot character, the team adopted Tokyo Dorompa, a tanuki-like figure, as its mascot in January, 2009.

Full name : Football Club Seoul
Founded : 1983 (Original), 2004 (FC Seoul)
Ground : Seoul World Cup Stadium (Nickname is Sang-am), Seongsan-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Capacity: 68,476 seats)
Owner : GS Group
League : K-League

FC Seoul is a professional football club based in Seoul, South Korea. It is currently owned by GS Sports, a subsidiary of GS Group. The club is usually considered a powerhouse in the K-League, with the well-known financial backing of the GS Group. The club disclosed its three-year contract with Şenol Güneş, a former Turkish national manager who led the side to the semi-final at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, on 8 December 2006.

Full name : Al-Ahli
Nickname(s) : The Red knights
Founded : 1970
Ground : Rashed Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates(Capacity: 18,000)
League : UAE League

Al Ahli Football Club (Arabic: الأهلي‎) is a United Arab Emirates professional football (soccer) club. They are based in Dubai.

Al Ahli is one of the most successful clubs in the UAE. Al Ahli, literally translating to "national" in Arabic was established in 1970, three local teams joined together to form the club. The club won three UAE League titles in the '70s and again won its fourth in 2006.


History

Establishment

The club was established in 1970, two local football teams Al Wehdah and Al Shabab (est.1962) joined together, and then four years later another local team Al Najah joined to form Al Ahli Club.

1973-1980: The golden age

It took Al Ahli only four years after its establishment to win the UAE league twice consecutively in 1975 and 1976 then again in 1980. Drawing home-town fans, Al Ahli has been and continues to be one of the most popular sports teams in the UAE. However,Al Ahli club have suffered a lot in the last decades,and they went back to the second division when they played against Al shabab which alahli was willing just for a point from the match to stay in the 1 division. Al ahli has lost the match and Al Shabab has won the league. After a period of decline, Al Ahli went back on top winning its fourth league title in 2006 but through all these years Al Ahli continued to be a successful club in the UAE by winning 6 Emir Cups.

Al Ahli Castle

They are also known as Al Ahli Castle because of its involvement in other professional sports. The club competes in basketball, volleyball, handball, track sport, table tennis and track cycling. Al Ahli is also known for its involvement in cultural activities and community services. Al Ahli Drama club established in 1981, to promote Emirati plays focusing on UAE tradition, heritage and current events.

Crest and Nickname

The original Al Ahli logo reflected a falcon on top of football and the words "Al Ahli Club" written horizontally. After rebranding themselves to Red Knights in 2006, the logo changed to a horse head shape with the letters A C (Al Ahli Club) on top. The new logo represents strength and high spirits also it goes along with the new nickname Red Knights instead of the old nickname the Red Devils.

Full name : Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Mataram
Nickname(s) : Laskar Mataram
Founded : 5 September, 1929
Ground : Mandala Krida Stadium Yogyakarta, Indonesia (Capacity: 25,000)
Owner : Yogya Government
League : Indonesian Premier Division

PSIM (Indonesian: Persatuan Sepakbola Indonesia Mataram) is an Indonesian football club based in Yogyakarta. They play in the top division in Indonesian football, Liga Indonesia. Their home stadium is Mandala Krida Stadium.

This club was founded in 5 September, 1929 as Persatuan Sepakraga Mataram (PSM). And club's name was changed to PSIM in 27 July, 1930.


Honour

Perserikatan Championship
1932 Winner
1939 Runner Up
1940 Runner Up
1941 Runner Up
1943 Runner Up
1948 Runner Up

Liga Indonesia First Division
2005 - Winner

Full name : Persatuan Sepakbola Sleman
Nickname(s) : Super Elang Jawa
Founded : 1976
Ground : Maguwoharjo Stadium Sleman, Indonesia (Capacity: 30,000[1])
Owner : Pemkab Sleman
Manager : jarwo
League : Liga Indonesia

PSS Sleman is an Indonesian football club based in Sleman. The club was founded in 1976. They play in the top division in Indonesian football, Liga Indonesia. Last season they finished in last position, because of an earthquake. Their home stadium is Maguwoharjo Stadium.