Ratchaburi F.C.

Ratchaburi Football Club (Thai: สโมสรฟุตบอลจังหวัดราชบุรี) is a Thai professional football club based in Ratchaburi province that currently plays in Thai League 1. Ratchaburi has the nickname The Dragons which can be seen in the club official crest.

Ratchaburi
ราชบุรี เอฟซี
Full nameRatchaburi Football Club
สโมสรฟุตบอลจังหวัดราชบุรี
Nickname(s)The Dragons
(ราชันมังกร)
Short nameRBMFC
Founded2004; 20 years ago (2004)
GroundDragon Solar Park
Ratchaburi, Thailand
Capacity10,000
ChairmanTanawat Nitikarnchana
Head coachSurapong Kongthep
LeagueThai League 1
2023–24Thai League 1, 6th of 16
Current season

History

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Establishment and early years

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Ratchaburi Football Club was founded in 2004 and then joined Thailand Division 2 League 2006. Ratchaburi able to win the Thailand Division 2 League title, get the right to compete in the 2007 Thailand League Division 1.

The League Division 1 season 2007 has a total of 24 teams participating in the competition, divided into 2 groups, 12 teams each and at the end of the competition, the top five of each group will be relegated to the competition. Thai League Division 2, the club did not perform very well, finished the season with the last place in the group A table.[1]

In 2008, Ratchaburi Football Club made the seventh place out of the 11 participating teams, causing the team to relegate, but due to the Football Association of Thailand reshaping the competition in the season 2009 makes Ratchaburi continue to compete in the Thai League Division 2

2009 Regional League Division 2 is the first season to compete in a 5-region zone system, Ratchaburi Football Club is organized in the Central and Eastern region. The club finished the season with 9th place out of 12 participating teams.[1]

Dragon's breath

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In 2010, the Nitikarnchana family decided to take over Ratchaburi Football Club, which was then in the Regional League Division 2. In 2011 they won the Central-East Division before earning promotion to Division 1 after winning Group A of the Division 2 playoffs.

Prior to the 2012 season, Ratchaburi Football Club was sponsored by the Mitr Phol Group and announced the change of the club's name to Ratchaburi Mitr Phol FC, with Sorraaut Klinprathum as the club's president, Boonying Nitikarnchana as the club's vice president and Thanawat Nitikarnchana is the team manager and Somchai Maiwilai is a head coach.[2]

2011Division 2(Tier 3)
2012Division 1(Tier 2)
2013Thai Premier League (Tier 1)

Whilst in Division 1, Ratchaburi made it to the 2012 Thai League Cup final where they lost 4–1 to Buriram United. The final was most remembered for the farcical circumstances that Ratchaburi faced as they didn't have any substitutes on the bench due to having several ineligible loanees from opponents Buriram United. Ratchaburi never stood a chance as Buriram won the final at a canter.[3]

Promotion to the top flight

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In the following season, the Dragons flew through the first division winning the title on their way to the TPL.

In the first season of the Ratchaburi Mitr Phol in top-tier league is considered unsuccessful, ranked 15th out of the total of 18 teams, but due to the problem of scrambling for the rights of the team between Sisaket F.C. and Esan United escalate,[4] The Thai League company decided to increase the top 20 teams in TPL, resulting in the Thai Premier League competition in 2013 season, there was only one relegation team, Pattaya United (17th place).

In 2014 season, Ratchaburi Mitr Phol reacted by appointing former Girona manager Ricardo Rodríguez as their new manager for the new 2014 Thai Premier League season. The Dragons finished comfortably in 4th place.[5]

Move to Mitr Phol Stadium and recent years

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Robert Procureur, first technical director of club.

After participating in the top league for 3 years, Ratchaburi Mitr Phol has a project to build its own football stadium. The stadium started construction in 2015 and opened for the first time in mid-2016. In 2016 the club moved to new ground, Mitr Phol Stadium and the club appointed Robert Procureur as the club technical director.[6]

In 2016, Following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the Football Association of Thailand cancelled the remaining league and cup season on 14 October 2016, with three rounds remaining. The Dragons finished in 6th place.

Philip Roller, captain of the team from 2019 to 2021.

In 2017 The Dragons continued to progress under Pacheta's stewardship, and with a team containing half blood players Philip Roller and Kevin Deeromram reached league finish as 6th place as well as reaching the semi-final of the League Cup losing 0–1 to Chiangrai United at Supachalasai Stadium.[7]

In 2018 Thai League, a dismal run of form saw the team slip to the bottom of the league table. The Dragons finished the season in 12th place with 43 points, they were one point adrift from safety.

In 2019, after beating Buriram United in the semi-final, The Dragons reached the FA Cup Final for the first time in their history. In the final, played at Leo Stadium, Ratchaburi Mitr Phol lost to Port 0–1, with a goal by Sergio Suárez scored in second half. Ratchaburi made it becoming the runner-up of the competition.[8][9] In 2020, Ratchaburi qualified to AFC Champions League for the first time in club history after get the position of top four in the table.[10][11]

Academy

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Ratchaburi Mitr Phol opened its first youth academies in 2016 under the name The Dragons Academy.[12] In 2017, Ratchaburi Mitr Phol have appointed Douglas Cardozo as Head of Youth Development.[13]

Stadium

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From 2007 to 2016, the club used Ratchaburi Provincial Stadium owned by the city council as their home ground. In June 2016, the club built Mitr Phol Stadium in the town of Huai Phai, Ratchaburi Province to be its new home ground and is directly owned by the club. The stadium has a capacity of 10,000 seats.[14]

Stadium and locations

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CoordinatesLocationStadiumYear
13°31′55″N 99°48′50″E / 13.531817°N 99.813832°E / 13.531817; 99.813832RatchaburiRatchaburi Provincial Stadium2007–2016
13°31′18″N 99°46′11″E / 13.521677°N 99.769588°E / 13.521677; 99.769588RatchaburiDragon Solar Park2016–present

Season-by-season record

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SeasonLeague[15]FA CupLeague CupAFC Champions
League
Top scorer
DivisionPWDLFAPtsPosNameGoals
2007DIV 122541331401912th –
2008DIV 2207943226307th –
2009DIV 2 Central-East224993133219th –
2010DIV 2 Central-East3012994539459th –
2011DIV 2 Central-East3020826719681stR2R1 –Pornchai Ardjinda18+(5)
2012DIV 13424648531781stR4RU –Douglas19
2013TPL326121431393015thR3RU –Douglas10
2014TPL38171476242654thR4SF –Heberty26
2015TPL34174134850557thQFR3 –Heberty19
2016T13014795235496thWR1 –Heberty20
2017T134167116349556thR1SF –Marcel Essombé20
2018T1341271550534312thSFR1 –Kang Soo-il13
2019T130108124848388thRUR1 –Yannick Boli14
2020–21T130137104841468thQF – –Philip Roller14
2021–22T130991232363612thR2R3GSDerley13
2022–23T130101193229418thR3SF –Derley8
2023–24T130116133935396thR2QF –Njiva Rakotoharimalala9
ChampionsRunners-upThird placePromotedRelegatedIn Progress

Continental record

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SeasonCompetitionRoundClubHomeAwayAggregate
2021AFC Champions LeagueGroup G Pohang Steelers0–00–24th
Johor Darul Ta'zim0–10–0
Nagoya Grampus0–40–3

Players

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First-team squad

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos. NationPlayer
2DF  THAChakorn Chantarumporn
3DF  THASanchai Nontasila
4DF  THAJonathan Khemdee
5DF  KORPark Jun-heong
7FW  THAKorawich Tasa
8MF  THAChotipat Poomkaew
9FW  THASittichok Kannoo
10MF  THAJakkaphan Kaewprom (Captain)
11MF  ESPTyronne del Pino (on loan from Persib Bandung)
14DF  THAJirawat Thongsaengphrao
15DF  THAAdisorn Promrak
16MF  THASiwakorn Jakkuprasat (Vice-captain)
17DF  MYAHein Phyo Win
18FW  BRAMateus Lima
No.Pos. NationPlayer
19MF  THAPongsathon Sangkasopha
21MF  THAWongsathon Tamoputsiri
27MF  PHIJesse Curran
29DF  THAKiatisak Jiamudom
37MF  THAKritsananon Srisuwan
39GK  THAChutideth Maunchaingam
40MF  MADNjiva Rakotoharimalala
66MF  THANatthawat Prompakdee
77MF  BRUFaiq Bolkiah
94MF  THAThiraphat Yooyen
97GK  THAPuttipong Promlee
99GK  THAKampol Pathomakkakul (Vice-captain)

Out on loan

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos. NationPlayer
MF  THAMontree Promsawat (at Chiangrai United)
MF  THANarakorn Noomchansakul (at Customs United)
DF  THAThanaset Sujarit (at PT Prachuap)
No.Pos. NationPlayer
DF  THASupravee Miprathang (at Sukhothai)
MF  THAThanatorn Chanphet (at Dragon Kanchanaburi)
DF  THATony Laurent-Gonnet (at Uthai Thani)

Managerial history

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Honours

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League

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Cups

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References

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