Buriram United F.C.

Buriram United Football Club () is a professional football club based in Buriram, Thailand. The club has played at the top level of Thai football for the majority of their existence and is competing in the Thai League 1. The club was founded in 1970 as PEA FC (Provincial Electricity Authority Football Club) before reformed in to Buriram PEA then Buriram United in 2010 and 2012 respectively. Their home stadium is Chang Arena which has a capacity of 32,600.
Buriram United won their first Thai League 1 title in 2008 and the Kor Royal Cup in 1998, as PEA FC. The club was previously based in Ayutthaya before moving east to Buriram for the 2010 season. In the 2011 season, Buriram PEA were the first team in Thai football history to win all the domestic trophies, as the triple champions of the (2011 Thai Premier League, 2011 Thai FA Cup, and 2011 Thai League Cup).
History.
Origins: "Provincial Electricity Authority", 1970–2009.
The club was founded in 1970. But their first big success came in 1998 by winning the third division of the Kor Royal Cup. The club was then promoted to the Thai Division 1 League. In 2002–03 the club finished third in the second division. In the Thai League 1 Relegation to be lost at the end of the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly FC after round match with 0–1. A year later, they succeeded at the end of season 2003–04 with promotion to the Thai Premier League. PEA surprised everyone by becoming the league runner-up at the end of their first Premier League season. Being the runner-up entitled the club to participate in the AFC Champions League. It was the first participation in an international competition for the club. However the club was excluded from the competition. In the following two seasons, 2006 and 2007, the PEA took place only 10 and 8 at the end of the season.
In 2008 Provincial Electricity Authority relocated to Ayutthaya and played at Ayutthaya Province Stadium where they gained a bigger fan base. The club played under the nickname of Faifa Ayutthaya (Electric Ayutthaya) from media and its fans. Under the head coach Prapol Pongpanich, PEA eventually won their first championship in Thai League 1. The club was qualified for 2009 AFC Champions League preliminary round.
In 2009, PEA was eliminated from 2009 AFC Champions League after losing 1–4 to Singapore Armed Forces in the extra-time at Rajamangala Stadium. PEA ran their defending title campaign of Thai Premier League with the poor performance. Prapon Pongpanich was sacked in the middle of the season and replaced by former Thailand national team head coach Thongsuk Sampahungsith. The club finished in 9th place of out of sixteen in the final standings.
Breath of Buriram.
In December 2009 it was announced that a politician based in Buriram, Newin Chidchob was to take over the club. He had already tried unsuccessfully to take over TOT SC and Royal Thai Army FC Newin relocated the club to Buriram in Isan and rebranded it to Buriram PEA Football Club. The Buriram PEA inherited most of the players from the former PEA club included the stars like Rangsan Viwatchaichok, Apichet Puttan and Theerathon Bunmathan. Pongphan Wongsuwan who was a long-time head coach of TOT S.C. was instated as coach. Thailand national team member Suchao Nuchnum of TOT S.C. also followed his coach to the new team.
Buriram PEA finished their first season under the transition as the runner-up of 2010 Thai Premier League. The club reached the final of 2010 Thai League Cup but lost 0–1 to Thai Port at Supachalasai Stadium.
The Greatest in Thailand.
In 2011, Buriram PEA under the coaching of Attaphol Buspakom, completed their 2011 season with the domestic Treble by three Thai major trophies. Buriram won 2011 Thai Premier League with 85 points, highest record in the league history. They beat the archrival Muangthong United in the 2011 Thai FA Cup final and clinched their first Thai FA Cup title. Following the success in two other competitions, Buriram avenged their previous year League Cup final opponent, Thai Port and snatched the 2010 Thai League Cup to their name. Buriram PEA became the first Thai club to win a Treble in a season.
In 2012, At the start of the 2012 season, the club was renamed Buriram United Football Club. In the first match of the group stages of the 2012 AFC Champions League, Buriram beat the 2011 J-League champion, Kashiwa Reysol, 3–2 and became "the first Thai and South East Asian club" to earn a victory against a J-League club in ACL since starting the Champions League system in 2003. On the second match, Buriram was the visiting team against the 2011 CSL Champion, Guangzhou Evergrande. Buriram also became "the first Thai and South East Asian club" to earn a victory against a Chinese club "in China" after beating Guangzhou Evergrande 1–2 in Tianhe Stadium from Suchao Nuchnum and Frank Acheampong's goals. That match was the end of a two-year unbeaten home record for Guangzhou.
2013 & 2015 - Quadruple Season.
In 2013, Under Spanish head coach Alejandro Menéndez, Buriram United became the first Thai club to achieve the Quadruple by winning 4 trophies in the 2014 calendar year. The campaign included the titles of Kor Royal Cup, Thai League T1, Thai FA Cup and Thai League Cup. The league season was also finished with the first Invincible title for the club, the second Thai team after Muangthong United in 2012.
In 2015, Brazilian coach Alexandre Gama guided Buriram United to create history by winning all four competitions in the 2016 calendar year : Kor Royal Cup, Thai League T1, Thai FA Cup and Thai League Cup.
Moreover, the 2015 Buriram United team is arguably regarded as the strongest in Thai League history after winning the 2015 Thai Premier League with an unbeaten record. The Brazilian forward Diogo Luis Santo broke the top scoring record with 33 goals from 32 games and received Thai League T1 Top Scorer and Player of the Year Awards at the end of the year and Theerathon Bunmathan got top assists with 19 assists from 32 games in left back position.
Strike Back.
In August 2016, Newin Chidchob admitted he is disappointed that his team's bid to defend their Thailand League title is over. Buriram United appointed Ranko Popović as the club manager to fill the vacant role after the dismissal of Afshin Ghotbi and former coach Bozidar Bandovic is back as the technical director of the club.
In 2017, Serbia's Ranko Popovic has resigned as coach in June after receiving a three-month ban by the Thai FA for slapped in the face of Bangkok United physio Andy Schillinger following a heated argument after Buriram beat the capital side 2–1. Buriram United have announced that promoted Bozidar Bandovic to head coach from his position as technical director of football, Bandovic is the only coach to return to Buriram after having left. Under Montenegrin head coach Bandovic, the team that values hard work and strives for success.
In the same year, the club won the 2017 Thai League 1 and created history by claiming 86 points - the club's highest points in a single season.
In 2018, after finishing champions in the 2017 Thai League season, Buriram secured direct qualification into the 2018 AFC Champions League. In the group stages, for Home games Buriram beat Cerezo Osaka, 2–0 and beat Jeju United, 1–0 and draw Guangzhou Evergrande, 1–1 . For their home and final leg of the Champions League Round of 16 – a home and away series against Korean side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Having won the first leg, 3–2 in Buriram but Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors defeat Buriram, 2–0 in the second leg.
In the same year, Buriram comfortably retained the 2018 Thai League 1 title with a record 87 points. Bozidar Bandovic received Thai League 1 Coach of the Year Award at the end of the year.
Crest.
The club logo incorporates elements from the historical ancient stone castle, Phanom Rung.
Rivalries.
Buriram United vs. Muangthong United in Thai League
Buriram United has Muangthong United as their main rival. The two clubs are the powerhouses of Thai League 1 (T1). The rivalry between two clubs became a highly competitive relationship since they are the only two clubs that have won the Thai League 1 championships between them since the 2009 season.
Buriram United and Muangthong United also represent widely different groups of supporters. Buriram represents the mostly rural people of the Thai countryside, while Muangthong United symbolizes the urban people in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Their rivalry also reflects political differences in Football Association of Thailand (FAT) since Muangthong United has the close relationship with FAT under the management of Worawi Makudi, while former politician Newin Chidchob became the polar opposite and frequently questions the transparency of FAT.
The games between the two teams are regarded as the finest match-up in Thai football. Buriram has dominated the rivalry head-to-head and maintained an unbeaten record against Muangthong for a long time after the club relocated to Buriram. It became their famous rivalry quote of "Rather lose to anyone but Muangthong." (Thai lit. แพ้ใครก็ได้ แต่ไม่แพ้เมืองทอง). Their unbeaten record against Muangthong was broken in 2016 Thai League when they lost 0 – 3 to their rival on their home ground.
Academy & Youth Program.
Buriram United opened its first youth academies in 2011. The club is also particularly famous for its renowned youth programme that has produced many Thai talents over the years – Suphanat Mueanta, Supachok Sarachat, Ratthanakorn Maikami, Chitipat Tanklang, Airfan Doloh, and Anon Amornlerdsak have come through the ranks and are just some of the talents who've played for Buriram United. Buriram United also regularly supplies the Thai national youth teams with local talent. Buriram youth academies play in Thailand Youth League.
International Youth Football Contest "CP-Meiji Cup U-14 International Championship" is the famous youth program that held at Chang Arena Stadium and Training Ground Elephant Ground , between October–November every year, with youth teams 6 under 14 as Thailand leading and 6 youth teams from Asia (Aspire Academy, Jubilo Iwata, Mokhtar Dahari Academy)
In 2018, Buriram United have appointed Andrew Ord as Head of Youth Development the coach who gave Chanathip Songkrasin from youth team debut at BEC Tero Sasana. He replaces Brazilian Jose Alves Borges.
Sponsorship.
The following are the sponsors of BRUTD (named "BRUTD Partners"):
Title Sponsors.
In December 2017, The Thunder Castles changes their stadium's name from "I-Mobile Stadium" into "Chang Arena". With this 5 years sponsor deal from "Chang", one of Southeast Asia's largest beverage companies, Buriram United will get 1 Billion Thai Baht budget -30 million U.S. dollar.
Main Sponsors.
2019 season 
Kit evolution.
First
Away
ACL special(First)
Stadium.
Chang Arena is a 32,600 seat football stadium in Buriram, Buriram Province, Thailand. The stadium is the home of Thailand's 2011, 2013 and 2015 treble champions, Buriram United.
The Chang Arena is the second-largest football stadium in Thailand. Its nickname is "Thunder Castle", the fifth castle of Buriram Province. Buriram United has led the 18-team Thai League (TL) in attendance since the move to the new stadium.
The Chang Arena is in the Mueang Buriram District, located about 3 kilometers southwest of central Buriram along highway 2445. The 150-acre site has a capacity of 32,600 people with parking for 800 cars and buses, plus 3,000 motorcycles. The pitch is floodlit; allowing for night matches. The stadium houses locker rooms for home and visiting teams provides modern medical facilities and live television and radio broadcasting infrastructure. 3
Coaches.
Coaches by years (2001–present)