2025 Season Review: Bucheon FC 1995

Bucheon FC 1995 are a K League 1 club after a glorious end to the season. Lee Young-min's side swathed aside Suwon FC at Castle Park to reach the promised land for the first time in their history.

What Went Well

With the possible exception of League and Cup winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, one could argue Bucheon FC 1995 had the best season in Korean football. From 8th in K League 2 last season to third in 2025 — their highest-ever finish — Bucheon enjoyed a remarkable campaign. A Cup run all the way to the semi-finals and, most importantly of all, defeating Suwon FC 4–2 on aggregate to record a first-ever promotion capped it off. The last club from the city of Bucheon to play top-flight football now resides in Jeju. Bucheon supporters have waited a very long time for this.

[READ: Where does Bucheon FC 1995's playoff triumph stand in K League history?]

Bucheon finished with 67 points from 39 matches, just five shy of the wealthier Suwon Bluewings (who failed to get promoted). K League 2 is remarkably difficult — clubs lose form very quickly and drop out of promotion spots on a regular basis. Momentum is unheard of. Bucheon, however, bucked that trend. They were top after four weeks, hovered around the playoff spots until week 18, when they climbed to third. Between weeks 18 and 39, they never dropped below fourth, and were third for a total of 16 rounds.

Coming to a K League 1 ground near you soon.

What set Bucheon apart from Suwon Bluewings and so many K League 2 promotion hopefuls of the past was their steely determination to get the job done. They were ready for Suwon FC; they were confident, in-form, and deep down they knew this was their year. Rodrigo Bassani settled the snow-delayed first leg, and the Brazilian was unplayable in the return. I watched the final 15 minutes with their fans. After years of battling through the second-tier wilderness — finishing bottom as recently as 2021 — the emotions ran deep when promotion was confirmed. It was a glorious sight.

What Didn't Go Well

As laid out above, this was close to the perfect season for Bucheon. However, even miracle seasons require improvement. Bucheon are a K League 1 side despite boasting a goal difference of just +10. You have to go down to Busan IPark in eighth to find a club with a less impressive goal difference. Bucheon scored 59 goals — just seven behind champions Incheon United — but conceded 49. Ironically, that was a better record than Suwon in second, but worse than all their other challengers. 

On 12 occasions, Bucheon conceded multiple goals, compared to 14 clean sheets (four of those coming in their final four outings). Ultimately, this didn’t have any bearing on their most recent season, but from February the calibre of player increases dramatically. Incheon join Bucheon in K League 1, and their goals-against record reads just 30. Fortunately, there is plenty of time before the new season starts, and Bucheon can work on defensive stability over the winter.

Young Player of the Year

How long Bucheon FC can keep hold of central midfielder Park Hyun-bin remains to be seen. Park has the makings of a future Korean national team No. 6, but to achieve that goal, a move away from Bucheon is likely. Having come through Incheon United’s youth system, Park was sold to Bucheon in March 2024, quickly establishing himself as a mainstay in midfield alongside Takahashi Kazuki. He finished that season with 28 appearances.

Park took things to the next level in 2025, playing 34 times and starting on the bench only twice. He went the full 90 minutes on 18 occasions. Like many of the team’s key players, he sat out the week 39 clash with Hwaseong FC to stay fit for the playoffs. He was no stranger to time off the field, however. The competitive midfielder picked up nine yellow cards and one red throughout the year, totalling four games of suspension. A no-nonsense central midfielder who breaks up play can be a valuable asset in this league.

Team MVP

Captain, talisman, hero: Rodrigo Bassani.

Rodrigo Bassani had this wrapped up even before he took one look at Suwon FC and tore his opponents to shreds in the playoff final. I met the Brazilian for an interview alongside midfielder Takahashi Kazuki one month prior to the Suwon series. In his eyes was a steely determination to rid himself of Suwon Bluewings' collective failure in 2023. Bassani grabbed Suwon FC by the throat and squeezed tightly. His second-leg performance was the best of the season by any player in this division.

[READ: Bucheon FC 1995 "ready" for their date with destiny]

In total, the 28-year-old playmaker finished the season with 14 regular-season goals, fourth-best in the division. He also chipped in six assists, underlining his status as a complete attacking threat. Manager Lee Young-min trusted his star man with the captaincy throughout the successful campaign. 

As teammate and friend Kazu notes: “When people see Bassani, they think about goals. But it’s more than that. His attitude, how he trains, and how he helps the younger players — that’s why he’s special.”

Most Disappointing Player

Like my review of FC Anyang, selecting a disappointing player is an uncomfortable exercise. Bucheon’s promotion from mid-table the previous season was a collective achievement forged across 39 gruelling matches. Still, the editorial department demands a name be put forward, and I have settled on Choi Jae-young.

[READ: 2025 Season Review: FC Anyang]

After a very promising 2023 campaign, Choi’s game time collapsed following the arrival of Park Hyun-bin. In 2025, he made 22 appearances but accumulated just 668 minutes — his lowest total since his debut season. Choi started only nine matches and, for long stretches, remained an unused substitute. In six autumn appearances, he played a combined total of just 36 minutes.

The core issue was that Choi was neither Kazu nor Park. Bucheon relied heavily on that midfield partnership throughout the campaign. Kazu was ever-present, missing only three matches (one through suspension and the final fixture when key players were rested), while Park earned a Best XI nomination. Dislodging that duo was always going to be difficult, but when opportunities arose, Choi was unable to capitalise on them.

Most Important Decision of the Off-Season

Despite the remarkable success of the 2025 season — which also included a Korea Cup semi-final finish — Bucheon should be under no illusions about how difficult next year will be. Teams that finish third in K League 2 don’t often go up. Bucheon will be favourites to finish 12th unless there is a major recruitment drive over the winter. At the time of writing, however, Bucheon had signed no one.

Manager Lee Young-min.

Working in Bucheon’s favour is that 2026 is the best season ever to be promoted. The league is expanding from 12 to 14 teams, meaning Bucheon will be safe if they avoid bottom spot. Should they finish last, they will still have a two-legged playoff to prolong their K League 1 status.

[LISTEN: #KLUpod | The Takahashi Kazuki Interview]

Bassani has been heavily linked with a move to Indonesia, and keeping hold of the talisman remains the club’s most important objective. With his quality, they stand a chance of picking up points. Secondary to that, Bucheon’s board must back manager Lee Young-min. His heroics will not have gone unnoticed across the country. If other clubs sense any discontent in the Bucheon dugout, they will swoop for Lee. I fear for Bucheon in 2026 based on their current squad — remarkably, none of their players made the Best XI — and without investment and keeping Bassani’s suitors at bay, it could be a very long season.