Esteghlal F.C.
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| Full name | Esteghlal Tehran Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | (Crown) (SS) (The Blues) | |||
| Founded | September 26, 1945 (as Docharkheh Savaran) | |||
| Ground | Azadi Stadium Tehran, Iran | |||
| Capacity | 120,000[1] | |||
| Owner | Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports | |||
| Chairman | Ali Fathollahzadeh | |||
| Head Coach | Amir Ghalenoei[2] | |||
| League | Iran Pro League | |||
| 2011-12 | Iran Pro League, 3rd | |||
| Website | Club website | |||
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Esteghlal Tehran Football Club (Persian: باشگاه فوتبال استقلال تهران) which means 'Independence' in Persian, is an Iranian professional Football Club Based in Tehran, That Plays in The Iran Pro League. Founded in 1945 as Docharkhe savaran (Persian: دوچرخه سواران) meaning 'The Cyclists' in Persian. In 1949, the club first changed its name to Taj (Persian: تاج), which means 'Crown' in Persian; a name which quickly became a football powerhouse. They again modified their name to the current Esteghlal (Persian: Esteghlal) meaning 'Independence', after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Great Esteghlal, because his former name (Crown), has always been oppressed.[3][4]
The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1993–94 season, in the highest level of Iranian football (known as the IPL). In 1970, under the management of Zdravko Rajkov, Esteghlal Tehran was the first Iranian football club to win the Asian Cup.
They have won overall fifteen official titles at the national and international stage since 1970, including a record seven Iranian League (1st tier) titles[5] and a record 6 Hazfi Cups,[6][7] with two titles in Asian Cup (in 1970 and 1991), so there are two golden stars above the team badge.
History
Establishment
On 26 September 1945, three Iranian military officers—Mirzani, Jananpour and Navab—started a sports club on Ferdowsi Street, Tehran. Since the founders of the club were mostly interested in cycling, the club's original name was Docharkhe Savaran (Persian: دوچرخه سواران) , meaning 'The Cyclists' in Persian. Esteghlal football club played its first official match in 1946, and in 1947 was able to win the Tehran Hazfi Cup.
Emerging success
In 1949, the club officially changed its name to Taj. The club became the most beloved team in Iran after some years, and won numerous league AFC ChampionsLeague, Hazfi Cups and IPL.
The club has been successful in recent years and is always a contender for the league championship. In the past few years it has finished 2nd or 3rd in the league, and Amir Ghalenoei was able to get the team its first championship in the IPL in the 2005–06 season after his third and final year as the manager.
1979 Revolution
After the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the club was confiscated by the newly established Islamic government and put under the control of the Physical Education Organization of Islamic Republic of Iran (Persian: سازمان تربیت بدنی جمهوری اسلامی ايران), a governmental organization, and change its name to Esteghlal(Persian: استقلال), 'Independence' in Persian. Taj (Persian: تاج ها) means 'Crown' in Persian; after the revolution, any sign of the previous monarchist regime was not tolerated.
Tehran Derby
The club's main rival and its opponent in the Tehran Derby is Persepolis F.C. The first derby match between the clubs took place on April 5, 1968 at Amjadieh Stadium. Today, all derbies and home matches occur at the 100,000 capacity Azadi Stadium which is invariably sold out for the derby.
In 1995, IRIFF began to invite foreign referees to officiate the derby to ease fan and player suspicions of referee bias. This occurred after the events of the 38th derby. In the 38th derby (January 11, 1995), Persepolis was leading in the match by a score of 2–0 until the last 10 minutes of the match. Esteghlal scored two goals in quick succession, including one which was a penalty. This angered the Persepolis fans and players who felt the referee was biased towards Esteghlal (there was speculation about Esteghlal bribing the referee and the officials). Persepolis fans stormed the field, and fights broke out on the pitch between fans and players. Following this match it was decided that Iranian referees would no longer be used for the derby. After 13 years of foreign referees, the second leg of the 2008–09 season Derby saw an Iranian once again refereeing the game. The game ended a draw with goals coming from Mojtaba Jabari and Maziar Zare.
Over the years, Esteghlal has 24 wins and Persepolis has won 18 derbies.
AFC Champions League
Esteghlal is one of the most successful clubs in Asian Champion's League with 2 champions titles in 1970, 1991, in 1970 victory against Hapoel Tel Aviv.
Supporters and Fans
Esteghlal is one of the highest supported teams in Iranian football. It is said in unofficial counts that the club has over 30 million fans.The club is based in Tehran and is popular in all parts of country. Esteghlal also has a fan base in Afghanistan And Persian Gulf countries.[8]
Stadium
The Azadi Stadium is Iran's national stadium and the largest in the country. The Azadi Stadium officially has a capacity of 100,000 people [9][10] and was built to host the 1974 Asian Games. The stadium is part of the much larger Azadi Sports Complex, and is surrounded by a rowing river, football training pitches, a weightlifting complex, swimming facilities and indoor volleyball and futsal courts, among many other amenities. Azadi Stadium is the fifth biggest association football stadium in the world, fourth in Asia and first in West Asia.[11][12]
Esteghlal's home stadium is the Azadi (Persian: ورزشگاه آزادی), a football stadium in Tehran, Iran. The Stadium's former name was Aryamehr Stadium but was changed after the Iranian Revolution. The stadium has an official capacity of 100,000 but has been filled over capacity on numerous occasions, for example when it faces rivals Persepolis F.C. in the Tehran Derby or in several AFC Champions League matches. Prior to the construction of Azadi, Esteghlal used to play their games at Amjadieh Stadium.
Achievements
National
- Winner (9): 1949–50, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1960–61 ,1961–62, 1968–69, 1969–70
- Runners-Up (5): 1945–46, 1950–51, 1957–58, 1968–69, 1981–82
- Winner (2): 1946–47, 1957–58,
- Runners-Up ():
- Esteghlal Is One of The Most Popular Football Clubs In Asian Football And They Are Iran's Best Supported Club
Also Esteghlal Have Been The Most Successful Iran Club In Asia And One of The Most Successful Football Clubs In Iran.
- Table Shows The Iran Premier League Ranking For The Successful Clubs in These All 11 Seasons.
| Pos. | Club | Seasons | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Best Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Esteghlal | 11 | 338 | 164 | 107 | 67 | 526 | 342 | +184 | 599 | Champions |
| 2 | Sepahan | 11 | 338 | 154 | 105 | 79 | 501 | 336 | +165 | 5641 | Champions |
| 3 | Persepolis | 11 | 338 | 146 | 113 | 79 | 490 | 377 | +113 | 5452 | Champions |
| 4 | Zob Ahan | 11 | 338 | 143 | 110 | 85 | 425 | 336 | +89 | 539 | 2nd |
Continental
- The Following Table Lists Clubs By Number of Winners And Runner-up In AFC Champions League (Asian Club Championship Also Included).
| Team | Winners | Runners-Up | Years Won | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Pohang Steelers |
3 | 0 | 1996–97, 1997–98, 2009 | - |
 Esteghlal FC |
2 | 2 | 1970, 1990–91 | 1991–92, 1998–99 |
 Al-Hilal FC |
2 | 2 | 1991–92, 1999–2000 | 1986–87, 1987–88 |
| Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma |
2 | 2 | 1995–96, 2010 | 1996–97, 2004 |
| Al-Ittihad FC |
2 | 1 | 2004, 2005 | 2009 |
Unofficial titles
- Caspian Cup:
- Winners (1): 1996
- Kish Quartet Competition Cup:
- Winners (1): 1996
- Ettehad Cup:
- Winners (1): 1973
- Winners (1): 1998
- Winners (1): 1989
- Milz Cup:
- Winners (4): 1969 , 1970 , 1971, 1989
- Runners-Up (1): 1972
- Qatar Independence Cup:
- Winners (1): 1991
- Emirates Quartet Competition Cup:
- Runners-Up (1): 1996
Statistics and records
Statistics in IPL
- Seasons in IPL: 11 (all)
- Best position in IPL: First (2005–06), (2008–2009)
- Worst position in IPL: 13 (2007–08)
- Most goals scored in a season: 70 (2008–09)
- Most goals scored in a match: 6 – 0 (1 time)
- Most goals conceded in a match: 4 – 1 (3 times)
Statistics in Asian Club Championships
- Most goals scored in a match: 8–0
- Most goals conceded in a match:
Statistics in Hazfi Cup
- Most goals scored in a match: 13 – 0
- Most goals conceded in a match:
- Player with the most goals in a single match: Arash Borhani with 5 goals
General statistics
- All-time top scorer: Arash Borhani with 60 goals
- Most Appearances: Mehdi Amirabadi, 184
- Player who has won most titles: Mahmoud Fekri with 3 titles
Players
First-Team Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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See List of Iranian football transfers summer 2012.
- See also: Esteghlal F.C. season 2012–13
Notable Players
World Cup players
Club captains
Club managersNotable managersOnly managers who have won at least one trophy are mentioned.
IPL managers
Current management team
Chairmen
Season-by-seasonFor details on seasons, see List of Esteghlal F.C. seasons
Sponsorship
IPL shirt sponsors and manufacturers
See also
Notes
Official Website
Esteghlal Fans
News
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