About MTUTD
Welcome to SCG Muangthong United, Thailand's leading football club, with 4 Thai League One championships, the top level of professional football competition in the country. As well, SCG Muangthong United is well regarded across Asia and is a fixture of competitions on the continent.
The Early Years
The Muangthong United football club was founded in 1989. At first the team played in lower division football leagues in Thailand. In 2002 the club made it to Division Two. In 2007 Mr. Ravi Lohtong took charge and the team finished first in Division Two. Thus, in 2008, United were promoted to Division One. Again, after a successful year, in 2009 Muangthong United were promoted into the Thai Premier League!
2009 SEASON - CHAMPIONS!!
Muangthong United took the premier league by storm and went from being promoted to finishing first overall, and qualifying to play in the Asian Football Confederation champions league and cup competition (AFC) the next year. Already the team had a reputation for attracting top talent. During this season United signed three players who today are considered the top three Thai strikers: Ronnachai Rangsiyo, Teerasil Dangda and Teerathep Winothai. The head coach at the time was Attaphol Buspakom, who had previously led the Thai National team.
2010 SEASON - CHAMPIONS AGAIN!!
With the success of their first premier league season behind them, Muangthong United had another great year in 2010, winning the premier league for a second time, making the semifinals of the AFC cup, and qualifying for the playoffs in the AFC champions league. Dagno Siaka was the club's top scorer with 15 goals, and over the course of the season the club only lost 3 games.
2011 SEASON - THE FOWLER ERA: Muangthong United had another great year in 2011. A key event of this season was the signing of Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler. Robbie Fowler was an enormously popular figure, and with the team's successes and his signing, the already large fan base exploded even further. When United's manager was let go in April, Fowler became player/manager of the club. Muangthong finished 3rd overall in the Thai Premier League. An interesting fact from this season is United were to lose on aggregate to Kuwait City F.C. in the AFC Cup competition. The coach of Kuwait at the time was Dragan Talajic, whom in July of 2014 was signed as Muangthong's new head coach.
2012 SEASON - THE INVINCIBLES!! Robbie Fowler's contract was only for one year, and a new manager, Serbian national team coach Slaviša Jokanović, who eventually was to take charge at Fulham FC, was brought in. With the third place finish from the previous season, United were left out of the AFC Champions League and also the AFC Cup. This meant the club could focus on the Thai Premier League and re-capturing the trophy. It was also the year Mario Gjurovski signed with the club, and became one of the top scorers, along with Teerasil Dangda. Muangthong were undefeated this season and won the Thai Premier league for the third time.
2013 SEASON - THE BURIRAM RIVALRY!!
The two clubs that were often at the top of the premier league since 2010 were Buriram United and Muangthong United. The two teams have alternated owning the top spot for the last four seasons, 2010 - 2013. Games between the two clubs featured sold out stadiums and loud, boisterous supporters. In 2013 Buriram would win the title, with Muangthong in second place. This season was also the first year Muangthong qualified for the AFC Champions League group stage.
2014 SEASON - END OF THE TEERASIL ERA!! Prior to the start of the 2014 season United signed Scott Cooper as new head coach. Cooper had been at the helm of Buriram United when they won the premier league the previous season. Cooper's spell at the helm did not last long, however, and the team had an acting head-coach until Dragan Talajiz was hired in July of 2014. A key event from this season was Teerasil Dangda's final game, as he left to join Spanish La Liga club Almeria. The club still hoped to finish well in 2014, but a Thai Premier League decision following some fan violence saw the team hit with a severe 9 point penalty. Muanghtong still finished 5th overall, but many were disappointed at the decision.
THE 2015 - 'FIGHT BACK' SEASON - Head coach Dragan Talajic now had a full season in which to shape the team, helped by the early return of Teerasil from his stint in La Liga. His "fight to the end" approach and rigourous training saw a strong MTUTD team hit the pitch running, winning their
first match, and towards the end of the first leg closing in on the top of the table. The club also acquired promising young striker Chananan Pombuppha, and defender Naoaki Aoyama from Japan's top league.
THE DREAM TEAM 2016 - LEAGUE CHAMPIONS! The Kirin capture their fourth league championship! The dream team of 2016 saw the best players in Thailand wearing the SCG Muangthong United crest, featuring ten players from Thailand's national team. Chanathip Songkrasim, Tristan Do and others joined Sarach Yooyen and Teerasil Dangda. Then mid-Season saw a massive boost to the roster as Theeraton Bunmathan, the national team captain, joined the ranks. With such quality the club was nearly unbeatable all season, and the quality of play was the envy of the league.
2017 - THE WAR OF HEROES - The Kirin capture the LEAGUE CUP trophy and are runners up for the Thai League 1 championship. The big success of the season was progress into the group stage of the AFC Champions League, making it further than any Thai club to date. It was a battle of a season as the club lost Chanathip to the J.League, Cleiton Silva to China, and early on Sarach Yooyen was out for the season with a broken ankle! Depsite these set backs the club made remarkable progress.
2018-2019 - With the start of the 2018 season big changes began with the club and the legends were to graduate to other fields. Players Chanathip, Teerasil, and Theerathon all made the step up to the J.League, and have since become some of the top foreign talent competing in Japan. At the same time young players from the club's academy began to be called into action, while Heberty Fernandes became the squads key goal scorer and attacking threat.
The Early Years
The Muangthong United football club was founded in 1989. At first the team played in lower division football leagues in Thailand. In 2002 the club made it to Division Two. In 2007 Mr. Ravi Lohtong took charge and the team finished first in Division Two. Thus, in 2008, United were promoted to Division One. Again, after a successful year, in 2009 Muangthong United were promoted into the Thai Premier League!
2009 SEASON - CHAMPIONS!!
Muangthong United took the premier league by storm and went from being promoted to finishing first overall, and qualifying to play in the Asian Football Confederation champions league and cup competition (AFC) the next year. Already the team had a reputation for attracting top talent. During this season United signed three players who today are considered the top three Thai strikers: Ronnachai Rangsiyo, Teerasil Dangda and Teerathep Winothai. The head coach at the time was Attaphol Buspakom, who had previously led the Thai National team.
2010 SEASON - CHAMPIONS AGAIN!!
With the success of their first premier league season behind them, Muangthong United had another great year in 2010, winning the premier league for a second time, making the semifinals of the AFC cup, and qualifying for the playoffs in the AFC champions league. Dagno Siaka was the club's top scorer with 15 goals, and over the course of the season the club only lost 3 games.
2011 SEASON - THE FOWLER ERA: Muangthong United had another great year in 2011. A key event of this season was the signing of Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler. Robbie Fowler was an enormously popular figure, and with the team's successes and his signing, the already large fan base exploded even further. When United's manager was let go in April, Fowler became player/manager of the club. Muangthong finished 3rd overall in the Thai Premier League. An interesting fact from this season is United were to lose on aggregate to Kuwait City F.C. in the AFC Cup competition. The coach of Kuwait at the time was Dragan Talajic, whom in July of 2014 was signed as Muangthong's new head coach.
2012 SEASON - THE INVINCIBLES!! Robbie Fowler's contract was only for one year, and a new manager, Serbian national team coach Slaviša Jokanović, who eventually was to take charge at Fulham FC, was brought in. With the third place finish from the previous season, United were left out of the AFC Champions League and also the AFC Cup. This meant the club could focus on the Thai Premier League and re-capturing the trophy. It was also the year Mario Gjurovski signed with the club, and became one of the top scorers, along with Teerasil Dangda. Muangthong were undefeated this season and won the Thai Premier league for the third time.
2013 SEASON - THE BURIRAM RIVALRY!!
The two clubs that were often at the top of the premier league since 2010 were Buriram United and Muangthong United. The two teams have alternated owning the top spot for the last four seasons, 2010 - 2013. Games between the two clubs featured sold out stadiums and loud, boisterous supporters. In 2013 Buriram would win the title, with Muangthong in second place. This season was also the first year Muangthong qualified for the AFC Champions League group stage.
2014 SEASON - END OF THE TEERASIL ERA!! Prior to the start of the 2014 season United signed Scott Cooper as new head coach. Cooper had been at the helm of Buriram United when they won the premier league the previous season. Cooper's spell at the helm did not last long, however, and the team had an acting head-coach until Dragan Talajiz was hired in July of 2014. A key event from this season was Teerasil Dangda's final game, as he left to join Spanish La Liga club Almeria. The club still hoped to finish well in 2014, but a Thai Premier League decision following some fan violence saw the team hit with a severe 9 point penalty. Muanghtong still finished 5th overall, but many were disappointed at the decision.
THE 2015 - 'FIGHT BACK' SEASON - Head coach Dragan Talajic now had a full season in which to shape the team, helped by the early return of Teerasil from his stint in La Liga. His "fight to the end" approach and rigourous training saw a strong MTUTD team hit the pitch running, winning their
first match, and towards the end of the first leg closing in on the top of the table. The club also acquired promising young striker Chananan Pombuppha, and defender Naoaki Aoyama from Japan's top league.
THE DREAM TEAM 2016 - LEAGUE CHAMPIONS! The Kirin capture their fourth league championship! The dream team of 2016 saw the best players in Thailand wearing the SCG Muangthong United crest, featuring ten players from Thailand's national team. Chanathip Songkrasim, Tristan Do and others joined Sarach Yooyen and Teerasil Dangda. Then mid-Season saw a massive boost to the roster as Theeraton Bunmathan, the national team captain, joined the ranks. With such quality the club was nearly unbeatable all season, and the quality of play was the envy of the league.
2017 - THE WAR OF HEROES - The Kirin capture the LEAGUE CUP trophy and are runners up for the Thai League 1 championship. The big success of the season was progress into the group stage of the AFC Champions League, making it further than any Thai club to date. It was a battle of a season as the club lost Chanathip to the J.League, Cleiton Silva to China, and early on Sarach Yooyen was out for the season with a broken ankle! Depsite these set backs the club made remarkable progress.
2018-2019 - With the start of the 2018 season big changes began with the club and the legends were to graduate to other fields. Players Chanathip, Teerasil, and Theerathon all made the step up to the J.League, and have since become some of the top foreign talent competing in Japan. At the same time young players from the club's academy began to be called into action, while Heberty Fernandes became the squads key goal scorer and attacking threat.