Rom zeroes to heroes: SCG muangthong united's rise

No football club even comes close to matching SCG Muangthong United's performance over the past four years. They have seemed nearly invincible, winning Thai Premier League championships in three out of those four years and smashing countless records throughout their incredible 2012 season. Their accomplishments are all the more impressive when you consider how quickly the team has gone from a basement division two club with more players on the field than fans in the stands to one of the most dominant forces in Thai football _ it all took just six years. Now, the Twin Qilins, as they're known to fans, are the reigning champions, estimated to be worth 900 million baht, at the forefront of a new era in modern Thai football and now have their sights set on cracking Asia's Top 10.

It's a fairytale success story and like all great tales of its kind it started with a dream _ in this case the vision of owner Rawi Lohtong. Mr Rawi or P' Wi as he's more popularly known, began his career as a sports reporter some 50 years ago and dreamt of one day running a championship football club. Now, at the age of 70, he is the proud owner of Muangthong and head of Siam Sports.

P' Wi was, of course, elated when his team drew 2-2 with BEC Tero in the final game of the Thai Premier League season, assuring an undefeated Muangthong the championship. But he wasn't ready to get complacent. After clinching the championship, P' Wi told a raucous group of celebrating fans, "We'll make you happier next season." And he's already started working on it.

THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE JOB P'

Wi gives much of the credit for Muangthong's memorable journey to Ronnarij Suewacha, the team's director. Ronnarij's friendly, easygoing nature seemingly disguises the fact that in the eyes of many the man is a marketing genius.

"Ronnarij presented me with a plan on how we could build up a football club, asking for a budget of only 1.5 million baht. I thought that was a good price, so I gave him the green light," P' Wi said. "It turned out he had to spend about eight million baht in the first two years. But it's worth it. He led the team to the Premier League. He has leadership skills and a great marketing plan."

In turn, Ronnarij said he owes much to P' Wi's original vision for the team and his guidance. "P' Wi is a generous risk-taker with vision and a zest for football. Even at his age, he still plays with his staff at Siam Sports' soccer field. He never stops dreaming and making his dreams come true one after another," Ronnarij said. "He was determined to build a professional football team. I just took it from there."

The two men were kindred spirits, both dreaming big and ready to do whatever it took to reach those goals. "Managing this team under P' Wi has been the opportunity of a lifetime, because it's also my dream. I have a target that I'm committed to reaching," Ronnarij said. "Did I expect this tremendous success? No, I didn't. Did I feel pressure? Definitely, but I love it. I think criticism propels competitiveness, which results in advancement."

But turning their dreams into reality hasn't been easy. Their efforts started four years before Siam Sports took over the second division Nongjok Wittayanusorn, as it was then known.

Ronnarij and P' Wi did in-depth research into how to go about building a professional club, ran a coaching academy and won bids from two stadiums for their prospective team _ Thunderdome sports complex and Chulalongkorn stadium. However, they still didn't take the plunge.

"We waited for the right timing," said the 43-year-old team director. "The Football Association of Thailand [FAT] restructured the Premier League so that participating teams represented provinces. FAT believed this would strengthen bonds between locals in provinces and their clubs. After that change, we took over Nongjok Wittayanusorn, relocated it to Muang Thong Thani in Nonthaburi and renamed the team accordingly."

A FLYING START It was P'

Wi's idea to buy a small club instead of a top-tier team. He consulted with FAT president Worawi Makudi who suggested the Nongjok Wittayanusorn club, which was suffering from a lack of proper management.

"Six years ago, pro football had little value in terms of incoming funds and didn't require a massive investment. Players generally earned less than office people," said Ronnarij. "I knew that we had to bring the team to the Premier League as soon as possible because in the lower divisions, we are not allowed to sell tickets."

Muangthong won the second and first division titles in 2007 and 2008 respectively and were elevated to the Premier League in 2009. They quickly dominated, winning two straight Premier League titles. ''We're lucky that we became successful very quickly, partly because it was not highly competitive in the lower leagues at the time. It probably also had to do with those teams not having strong management to plan properly. So we had a good ride,'' said Ronnarij.

Looking around the team's 15,000-capacity home stadium, P' Wi recalled the club's far humbler origins. ''I remember during some matches there were more players on the field than fans in the stands. There were banana trees behind the stands,'' he said. ''We were determined to move up to play in the Premier League to be successful.''

LAST YEAR'S SKID

After four years of steady dominance, the club suffered its first setback last year, finishing the 2011 season third in the Premier League and failing to qualify for the Asia Football Confederation Cup.

Ronnarij, however, chose to take the drumming as a wake-up call. ''Winning four titles in four years was an unbelievable start in itself. Last year's flop forced us to take a step back and reassess the situation and find where our weaknesses were because we're here to stay and wanted to win again.''

So what was behind that uncharacteristically poor season?

''We played in four championships that season including the Asian Champion's League qualifying rounds. There were fitness problems with players and injuries. To make matters worse, our key players also had to play on the national team. We also changed coaches three times and our opponents were becoming stronger,'' said Ronnarij.

P' Wi hates losing and, after the club's initial success, had become unaccustomed to it, but he shrugged off the 2011 season as a temporary setback. ''Finishing third wasn't that bad, though it wasn't a good year for us,'' he said.

P' Wi said that during that season he received many offers from potential buyers interested in the team. ''And here we thought we might hit rock bottom, but many more sponsors wanted to partner with us. Then SCG came along with a five-year multi-million baht sponsorship _ 100 million baht a year plus 100 million baht in shares. We also signed with several new sponsors and re-signed with long-time partner Yamaha.''

With such a huge cash influx, Muangthong was able to splurge on good players, but Ronnarij said it was not a simple matter of showing up with the cash and signing stars.

''It's hard to negotiate with foreign players or coaches because when we say we come from Thailand, they don't think we'll have a good enough club to join. Some just come here for holidays. That's all. It's hard to draw talented or big names to join the team.''

Both Macedonian striker Mario Gjurovski and Serbian coach Slavisa Jokanovic were reluctant to join because to them, Thai football was an unknown entity.

In Jokanovic's case, his initial reticence was overcome once he learned that Robbie Fowler, former Muangthong's player/manager, had signed with the team. ''I think signing Fowler was the right move. He didn't play well for us, but his inclusion helped elevate our team _ a former Liverpool and England player joined us, so we must have potential,'' said Ronnarij.

'WE'RE NO REAL MADRID'

Muangthong is constantly hunting for new talent and their line-up changes all the time. Only two players _ goalkeeper Kawin Thammasatchanan and forward Teerasil Dangda _ remain from the team that won the second division title.

The club has a worldwide network extending throughout Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia through which it can scout potential players. Recently they signed North Korean player Ri Kwang-chon.

Ronnarij insists Muangthong needs foreign players who bring strengths that are lacking among Thai players. ''African footballers add physical strength. Brazilians bring imagination. Europeans have tactical prowess. We need variety.''

Ronnarij said the team is always ready to sell and buy players' services. Money made from selling services to other clubs is all part of running the team and keeping it profitable.

''We're not Real Madrid so our players are for sale but at the right price only. We sold Yaya [Soumahoro] to a Belgian club two years ago for 14 million baht, Christian [Kouakou] for 12 million baht, Thailand's national caption Nattaporn [Phanrit] to BEC Tero for about four million baht. These were quality players we let go because it's business.''

However, Ronnarij admits that the departure of a key player like Yaya last year may have contributed to the club's poor showing last year. ''Yaya's departure weakened our offensive line but we believe we made the right decision. We have to deal with it,'' he said. ''And not too long from now, we'll have to find a replacement for Teerasil, who should soon be transferred to a good club in Europe. That's why we added Paulo Rangel and Chainarong Tathong to our squad early this year.''

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Kawin says that the club's owner, who he calls ''Uncle Wi'', is always there for the team and that despite his age he's close to the young players. ''Uncle Wi always gives me good advice when I need it. He also looks out for me especially when it's about my future,'' said Teerasil.

Even a foreign player like Gjurovski feel right at home with Muangthong. ''It's family,'' he said.

Ronnarij said that P' Wi has taught him that running a football club successfully means paying attention to players' needs both on and off the field. ''We must provide the best coaches, trainers and equipment. But we must also understand that footballers are also human beings with emotions. We treat our players like family, so they can be in their best form on the field because they have nothing to worry about off of it,'' he said. ''Footballers can go beyond their limits if they want to, but we need them to trust the club and treat it like their second home.''

Family though it may be, players are also well aware of the club's business side and agree that the key factor behind Muangthong's success is its management and the team's branding.

''Muangthong is a team with prospects,'' Teerasil said. ''The owner and board executives have a vision that results in us getting stronger and stronger. We went from division two and look at us today. We reign in the top league and we haven't stopped pushing ourselves to further successes. We're hungry for more. We have quality players, fantastic fans and solid marketing and management strategies. Being a part of this team is just great because they're well equipped in all aspects.''

Ronnarij said that managing a football club is not much different from running a more traditional business. ''We must have excellent management, clear-cut positioning and offer a good service for customers. Our customers are our fans. We have continuous marketing activities to engage with them and to add value to the team.''

'ULTRA' FANS

In the past, football games in Thailand were individual events that people might attend at the weekend for entertainment, but with little attachment to specific teams.

''They didn't feel the team belonged to them. We were aware of that. So we had to build relationships with people. When we kept on winning and winning, they began to feel that the team belonged to them. They came to cheer,'' said Ronnarij.

Kawin is fascinated by the atmosphere at the stadium during home games. ''The board, staff, coach, players and fans, we're one family. I've heard that many of our fans had never seen football until they saw us,'' he said. ''The atmosphere is incredible. I never expected it'd be this amazing. It's beyond our expectations. Every time we play a home game, the crowd keep me going. It's magical.''

The first thing P' Wi did after his team won this year's championship was thank the fans, as did his players. ''We're here today because of you guys,'' Jokanovic said. ''We have the best supporters in Asia.''

Tham Janhom, an avid Muanthong fan, joined the celebrations following the team's championship victory and cheered on his heroes with friends. ''They are the best. I'm so happy we have a team of our own. Our 'ultra fan club' has come up with many Muangthong songs. I couldn't wait to be here for this incredible moment,'' he said. ''Guess what? We don't have to cheer teams like Man United or Liverpool any more.''

AN AMAZING SEASON AND FUTURE AMBITIONS

In 2012, Muangthong set their sights on winning back the Premier League title from Buriram United. But the two-time champions got off to a slow start, giving up goals in every early game and getting kicked out of the league cup, while the title holders got off to a winning start, leading the table easily.

Coach Jokanovic, who had just joined the team, addressed what he saw as the club's main flaws _ players' fitness and holes in their defensive line _ and from that point on they never looked back.

Ronnarij recalled management's attitude at the time. ''We could not afford to lose points to mid-table teams or bottom dwellers. Consistency is what we had to maintain. League competition is like a marathon. It takes quite a while to finish. Anything can happen in between, he said. ''But of course, the most dangerous teams were the table leaders such as Chon Buri, Buriram and BEC.''

Despite a sluggish start, Muangthong went on to win, racking up an unprecedented unbeaten record of 25 wins and 11 draws. Their striker, Teerasil Dangda, was tied with BEC Tero's Cleiton Silva as the top scorer for the season with 24.

However, as epic as the team's rise has been, Jokanovic says the team is eyeing even loftier goals. ''The real task lies ahead in the next season when we play in the Asian Champions League. We still have room to improve and hopefully we will retain our top form.''

Kawin, who has been with the club from the beginning, said he is excited to be involved in his first ACL. ''It's challenging. I can't wait to take on the top Asian teams because it'll help me improve my game in many ways.''

Capping off a memorable 2012, Ronnarij is also looking forward to even bigger victories. ''We want to defend our title but the real target is to be in the Top 10 in Asia. We want to be at the same level as Nagoya Grampus and the Melbourne Victory.''

He recalled P' Wi's vow to make fans happier next year. ''We'll just have to keep winning. That's all.''

TEERASIL DANGDA

AGE: 24 POSITION: Forward

Muangthong in one word?

Awesomeness.

What are the strongest elements of the team?

Masterful management plan, experienced coach and quality players, in that order.

Do you remember how many goals you have scored as a pro?

I lost count. I remember some important goals, though.

Why did you choose to start your career at Muangthong?

Because it's a team with prospects. The owner and board have a vision that only keeps us getting stronger and stronger. We came from Division Two and look at us today. We reign the top flight and we never stop pushing ourselves to achieve more success. We're hungry for more. Big ambitions and passion. We have quality players, fantastic fans and solid marketing and management strategies. Being a part of this team is just great because they're well-equipped in all aspects.

As a star of the team, you must have received many offers from both home and overseas. What do you think about such opportunities?

I'm very happy every time I hear there're other clubs interested in me, especially those from abroad. Before, Thai players were overlooked ... now scouts keep coming. If I move abroad and keep my performance like this, it will open doors for other Thai players.

Are you up for it?

I believe I am. I want to give it a try. I don't know if I will play every match or not, or if I can play as well as I am now. I can't tell, but at least I want to try.

What does Rawi Lohtong say about your possible transfer?

He only gives me encouragement and I'm sure he looks out for me and will find the best offer for me and the club. He says if a good opportunity comes along, I should consider it. It's a big step for me.

MARIO GJUROVSKI

AGE: 26

POSITION: Forward

Muangthong in one word?

Family. Very nice.

Were you surprised to be contacted to play for Muangthong in Thailand?

It was a big surprise. And it's even more surprising to actually come here and see the stadium and see thousands of enthusiastic fans. This was very important for me before I signed the contract. After nine months, it turned out to be the right decision.

Players generally dream of playing for a big club in Europe and make it big like Ronaldo. Why did a European like you choose to come to play in Asia instead?

Normally if you're born in Europe, you want to play in Europe. You want to play for big teams. But sometimes you take different route. I played in Ukraine before I came here. When I took this opportunity, I considered the fact that football in Asia is becoming bigger.

Do you still want to go back and play in Europe?

I'm not thinking about it. My life is here now. This is my team. I play for a wonderful club. I'm excited to be playing in the Asian Cup next season.

How different is it playing here to playing in Europe?

Big difference. In Europe, it's about tactics. If you're not good at tactics, you have no chance of playing in Europe. Here it's attacking football. You want to score goals _ as many as possible. This is good for me because in my career I've always played attacking football.

What do you think of Teerasil?

I call him Robocop because he scores like a machine gun.

Do you have a nickname?

''Sloppy'', because apart from when I'm on the pitch I'm a bit laid back. I hate being called Super Mario because it's a boring nickname. If I'm still with the team next season, I'd like my name in Thai on the back of my shirt.

Thai fans?

Unbelievable. So many of them come to see us play every week. Sometimes when we're playing away, they travel to see us. Some of them were left outside because they couldn't get tickets. Together with our fans, we're a real team.

KAWIN THAMMASATCHANAN

AGE: 22

POSITION: Goalkeeper

Muangthong in one word.

Family.

Mostly it'd be the forwards or offensive midfielders who are stars, but have you earned equal recognition?

I don't think I'm that famous. I'm the same as when I started. I'm more interested in practising hard, performing well and entertaining fans as a result. I enjoy that. If our fans recognise me, it's something extra, though I don't pay much attention to what happens off the pitch.

You started your career at Muangthong?

Yes, I was one of the two original players left in the team. I've been with the club for five years.

Are you satisfied with the current defence?

I think we've improved our defensive game over the years. The longer we play together, the better defence we put on. I'm very happy with our game.

At the very beginning of the season, Muang-thong lost goals quite easily. Did you feel the pressure?

Definitely. Especially as I'm the last man. We began to play more strongly after the first few months. We understand the game plan and system better. Then we set our sights on the record of fewest goals conceded in a season, and that made us try harder. But I tried not to think too much about it. I didn't want to put more pressure on myself. It's not good.

What kind of goal do you hate the most?

The accidental goal. The unexpected one. It's hard to predict and fend off.

Are there any forwards you think are dangerous, except Teerasil, of course?

Foreign players _ Cleiton Silva of BEC Tero, for example.

First Champions League?

Challenging. I would like to take on the top Asian teams because it'll help me improve my game.